


Innocence Lost

by Silvyia



Series: Innocence [1]
Category: Death Note
Genre: Everyone else is in here too, F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-25
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-06-04 10:08:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 22
Words: 60,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6653620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silvyia/pseuds/Silvyia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>((Death Note OC Insert)) Death is like a thief; it takes what it wants and gives nothing back, so when a single abused and neglected teen dies of blood loss after running from her abusive home, she has a hard time believing she's been reborn into another world. A world where she holds the future to, no less. OC x ?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**_((Hello! Author here. I thought up this idea on the whim and I don't know how far into this I'll get as I have no plot line in mind at the moment, but here you go! A Death Note fanfiction! Fair warning: this story does include child abuse, neglect, torture, implied rape, and a lot of shitty things. Also bad language. It's no wonder it's rated M, huh? Anyway, you have been warned! Read on if you dare._ **

**_The only thing I own is this sad story.))_ **

Running was one of her earliest memories.

Sure, she had faint memories of when her mother would lock her up, referring to her as God's Mistake. She would beat her and lash at her with a whip, shouting about how she would never be loved. She shouted about how she could never be loved.

She had faint memories of when her father would apologise to her, over and over, when he had to leave for work. She remembered she never knew why. Wasn't it normal to be hated by your mother? Wasn't it normal to be locked up and whipped whenever she cursed or spoke back, or said something out of place? It was what she was raised with; it was what she deemed was acceptable - what was _expected_ \- in society. But, of course, she never could ask. She was taught to stay quiet unless spoken to, so she never instigated conversation outside of her home. She never spoke up at the dinner table unless her mother would ask about her grades.

Failing was unacceptable, she would be told. Failing meant losing, losing meant shame, and shame meant she had brought her family down. Bringing them down meant she was in trouble.

She hated getting in trouble.

Her mother never wanted a child in the first place, but being the over religious woman she was, she didn't believe in abortion, so when she got pregnant, she simply grumbled her way through nine months of pain and hunger until eventually pushing out a little girl.

Such a beautiful little girl, her father would comment, holding the child in his arms as he held down his tears, a wide grin on his face as the little girl reached out to touch his nose gently. Her mother was almost happy. She was almost excited. She was almost glad she had gotten pregnant with this man in the first place- until she saw her, herself. This beautiful child with onyx black hair flattened against her head, pale skin that glistened from her mother's blood as she had yet to be cleaned fully, her beautiful smile...

Those burning green eyes.

But no, it was not the color of the eyes that had startled the woman. It was the calculating mind behind it. The woman could see it already, the anger, the _evil_ behind her eyes, in her mind.

Those eyes that had looked into the very soul of her mother, giggling as if she thought this all was but a simple game. Her mother had decided then and there that this child was not her own. It was the Devil's child, and she felt sick to her stomach at the thought of her holding this child in her womb for nine months.

She felt sick to her stomach just looking at the small girl.

So she would give her no name. She would feed her only once a day. She would give her only a sip of water to last a few days. Then she would punish her for every wrong she would ever do.

"We must beat the evil out of her," her mother would say. "We must snuff out the evil before it has a chance to begin."

And that was what she had always believed. She was evil. She didn't belong. She was a terrible creature. She shouldn't have been born. She was a burden to everyone around her. She knew all of this.

Her father was an ex-military veteran. He had been honorably discharged as he had hurt both of his legs in action. The little girl never knew a lot about her father's job, what it was like, how he had gotten hurt, who hurt him, for she was taught to keep her thoughts to herself.

"Every time you open your mouth, evil spews from your lips!" Her mother would shout as she whipped her across the back.

"Yes, Mother."

Her father made enough money each month to be able to pay for a private school for his daughter. Her mother never wanted this- "She can't learn, Kelly. She can't learn how to live- she will use it against us"

But that was the one time he didn't listen to her. He hired the tutor, and she was taught the basics.

"She's a very bright young girl!" The tutor, a young, spritely woman had commented, a polite grin on her face. "Your daughter is a fast learner." Her father was proud to hear this. "However, I have but one problem..."

"She claims she doesn't have a name?"

It really was no wonder she ran. She ran from her home at the age of 14, soon after her father's death.

In the middle of the night, when her mother had her sleeping on the floor in the living room, under the kitchen table - _evil doesn't deserve to be comfortable_ \- she had awoken at midnight. It was odd, she remembered thinking. She always fell asleep around 12 A.M., and she always woke up at 5 A.M., so why had she waken up so much earlier?

But then she almost froze as she had an idea. Her head had turned, vibrant green eyes latching onto the window in the kitchen. It unlocked from the inside.

So she ran. She ran and she ran until she could run no more, then she continued to run. Her legs ached and burned, her lungs screamed at her to stop- but she couldn't, she _wouldn't_. If she stopped her mother would catch her, she would catch her and drag her back there, back home. So she ran with everything she had, not even bothering to stop when the gravel road tore through the sensitive skin of her feet, not even when the gravel road suddenly turned into sharp twigs and rough leaves and painful spires in the ground. Not once did she stop, even as she tripped and scraped up her arms and abdomen even further. She did not waste a single second getting to her wobbly feet and running through the forest, not even once stopping to look at the trail of blood she was leaving. The blood that she was losing.

And that was how she ended up unconscious, on the streets, her single white shirt and white shorts that she had gone to bed in ruined and torn, muddy and bloodied beyond recognition. Her clothing almost looked as though they were meant to be red, but had been bleached white in some areas. She lay there, unconscious and in pain.

Unconscious, in pain, but free.

**_((So tell me how it was! Seriously, I don't think I'll even continue this if I don't get a few reviews telling me about it. This was just on a whim idea, so there's no point in taking it farther if nobody likes it, right? This will be the shortest chapter of the series, if I do continue it. I plan on writing longer chapters- MUCH longer chapters, heheh. So, anyway, R &R, and have a nice day!))_ **


	2. Chapter 2

_**((I'm so angry. So, so very angry. I had this ENTIRE chapter written up, and I was happy with how it was! It was a super long chapter, too, like I promised! And then I clicked on the "backspace" key without the area being selected, so the entire PAGE went back! And since I was typing this up on the site, it didn't autosave. I'm so angry at myself, augh. But I was happy with the nice reviews I got, so I decided to get over it and rewrite it, but with a different approach this time. So now instead of having the first chapter where she awoke in a hospital and fought her way out(she even killed a guy with a stolen scalpel how cool is that), sleeping in some alleyway, you now get this chapter where she instead WAKES UP in the alleyway, and I'll write how her new life here is, in this chapter. Here you go. No hospital fight scene for you. Sorry.** _

_**Also wow! I didn't expect to get so many reviews in two days? Thank you so much omg! Also to that one reviewer who said not to care about how many reviews I would get: I totally agree, but reviewing always makes me feel better, anyhow. Thanks for your kind words, everyone! Now, onto the story!))** _

_R_ _unning._

_Even when she wasn't awake, the girl dreamed of running. She did not know whether this running was good or not. She couldn't tell whether she felt fear- or joy._

_Was she being followed? Was she alone? She couldn't tell. She was running, but she was running free._

_She decided that, yes, she was running with joy._

But her dream did not last long, as her eyes shot open with a shuttering gasp. She coughed, then, several times. Her throat felt dry, and she chocked on her own breathing, making it all the more difficult to breath.

"Woah, are you okay, there, kid?" She heard a voice. She shot up in surprise. Yet before she could sit up correctly, her head made contact with something solid. Hard.

"AUGH!" The voice from before shouted in surprise and pain, stumbling footsteps heard behind her. She whipped her head around, looking to find the source of the voice. There, kneeling behind the girl was a young boy, holding his forehead with both hands, groaning in pain. The girl took a frightened step back, launching herself to her feet, only to fall back to her knees with a hiss of pain. She looked down at herself, shocked.

Shocked not only to see herself wearing the same outfit as she was wearing the night before, but more so to see it so bloodied and torn. It was only then that the pain really registered to her. She trembled as she brought her knees up her chest, inspecting the many cuts and bruises across her pale skin. She hadn't gotten a lot of time in the sun with her life before, but that would change, now.

"Christ, I just wanted to know if you were okay! You didn't have to go and break my skull, girl!" The boy groaned out. He let one of his hands fall to his side as he looked up at the girl, the other hand still held gently to his now reddened forehead.

"I-" she whispered. Her voice was quiet and shook, showing her fear all the more. "I'm sorry." Then the boy froze. He put both his hands up in the air, his eyes wide.

"N-no, no! It was totally my fault! Don't worry about it!" He smiled nervously, getting back up on his feet as he looked down at the poor girl who looked just about ready to cry at that point. He suddenly felt very bad about his comment. She was obviously scared, alone, and hurt, and he had only made it worse by making her feel bad. Such an idiot.

The girl nodded slowly, afraid to say anything more. _Don't speak unless spoken to._

"So, eh," the boy mumbled, now standing up at his full height. He looked fairly young, almost the same age as she was. His dirty blond hair ruffled in the light wind, casting an almost angel-like halo around his head. He looked back at the girl, curious brown eyes wandering. "What's your name?" He asked.

The girl stayed quiet.

"My name's Fujita Aki!" The boy bowed respectively, smiling politely. The girl furrowed her brows at the odd name.

"Fujita...?" She asked, quiet. "What kind of first name is that?"

"Oh, no, Fujita is my last name. I figured you weren't Japanese, which is why I'm speaking English, but I guess I kind of forgot how you Americans say your names. My name, to you, would be Aki Fujita," the boy, Aki, explained gently. He was careful to not spook the girl any more than she was already. She looked badly wounded, and he wanted to help her.

"...that's still an odd name," she mused, smiling politely. She was beginning to feel slightly comfortable around the young boy. The boy grinned.

"Well, what's your name, then, American?" He asked good-naturedly. And yet the girl remained quiet once more. "What's wrong?" He asked, his grin faltering slightly. "You don't want to tell me your name?"

"I..." The girl began, looking down at her cut and bruised skin, poking delicately at one of the many cuts adorning her legs. "I don't have a name."

"You.. don't have a name?" Aki asked, brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean? Why not?"

She shrugged. "Mother says giving me a name would make me seem human."

Aki stayed silent for a moment, confusion written clearly across his features. Then, he mumbled out, "But you are human... right?" Again, the girl shrugged.

"Mother says I'm evil. Evil doesn't deserve to be treated like a human," she looked down at her feet again, suddenly very self conscious about the way the boy was looking down at her. He looked at her the same way her father used to look at her. He was saddened for her. Pity, she believes he had called it one day. The boy pitied her. The girl tightened her hold on her legs, eyes set to the ground in front of her. She decided she did not like being pitied.

"Ruri Shinju."

The girl looked up in surprise, the silence broken by the boy. He looked down at her, but this time, she realized, there was no pity in his eyes. There was determination, she thought.

"What?"

"Ruri Shinju," the boy repeated, not once breaking eye contact with the shocked young girl.

"What is that?"

The boy smiled at her. "Your new name. You said you didn't have one, right?" She nodded slowly. "Then I'll give you one. Ruri Shinju! Or, in Japan you would say you're name was Shinju Ruri."

She looked up at the boy in wonder. She had a name? Ruri Shinju. Shinju Ruri, she scolded herself mentally. She nodded, she liked this name. Her name. She was human, now. Not evil. "Why that name, though?" She asked our of pure curiosity.

"Because," the boy looked at her with nothing but glee and friendliness in his eyes and smile. "It means 'emerald pearl'. And you're pretty, just like a pearl." He looked down, blushing at his last comment, and the girl, now accepting her name as Shinju Ruri, nodded, grinning widely.

"Shinju Ruri!"

"Well, Ruri-chan," he smiled, holding out a hand for her to take. "Let's get you fixed up."

And she would take his hand, gladly.

The walk to Aki's home was almost 15 minutes, and the girl, Ruri, chatted with him on the way there. Aki had given her his black jacket, which he had told her was part of his school uniform, to cover herself up. She accepted it graciously. Then she had asked about what she had called her.

"Ruri? That is your name now, right? I mean- I can change it if you want!"

Ruri shook her head, frustrated that the boy didn't grasp the meaning of her question.

"After you called me Ruri! You said something! What did you say?" Aki was silent for a moment as they walked, Ruri getting noticeable stares from many people as she wore nothing but a torn and noticeably bloodied shorts along with a single, black school uniform, before Aki snapped his fingers.

"You mean -chan!" Ruri nodded her head several times, glad he finally caught on.

"Ah," he smiled, looking to his new friend as he explained. "-chan is a suffix you add to the back of someone's name, for a lot of reasons, really, but the reason I added it to your name was because you're a young girl. You say -chan to a young female to be polite toward them."

"Oooh," Ruri nodded. "So Ruri-chan means 'young Ruri' ?" She asked, confused. Aki laughed for a moment before settling down.

"No, no, Ruri-chan. It doesn't really mean anything in particular, it's just the polite way to address young girls, is all."

"Oh. Then what is the polite way to address young boys?" She asked, glancing at Aki. He grinned.

"Call me Aki-kun." Ruri nodded her head, smiling.

"Okay, Aki-kun."

The walk home was mostly silent after that. Ruri occasionally brought up a question about where she was, how she got here, and about Aki's family. She was very surprised to find out that his mother was kind to him, even saying that she had loved him. Then she couldn't help the creeping feeling of jealousy.

And finally, after a brisk 15 minute walk, Aki had finally made his way home. The two children stood in front of a wooden gate, a plate that said something in a language that Ruri could not understand off to the side, while Aki took out a key to open the gate with.

"My parents are very worried that someone may hurt me whenever they're not home, so they lock the gate and give me a key to open it when I come home alone after school," Aki explains when he sees Ruri's questioning gaze. Then he can't help but wonder why she pouted, muttering something under her breath. "What?" He asked, holding the gate open for Ruri to walk through.

"My parents never worried about me," she muttered, walking through the gate silently. She walked up the steps, waiting for Aki to come up with her. She didn't want to walk into somebody else's home, uninvited. Especially not if there's a chance his parents are home. Aki kept his mouth shut after hearing this, suddenly reminded of how he had assumed her parents were abusive and cruel, and he seemed to have good reason for this. He assumed she was also cut and bruised because of them, but knew better than to outright ask her about it. Instead, he unlocked his front door and allowed her to walk inside before himself, being the kind gentlemen his family raised him to be.

"So, uh, Ruri-chan," Aki began, closing the front door. Ruri felt very trapped all of a sudden, but she said nothing about it. "How old are you?" He asked.

"I was born 14 years ago," she answered without hesitation. She was used to being asked questions.

"Ah, so you're 14, then, got it." He mumbled more to himself, chuckling at her odd way of answering his question. "I'm 15. I turn 16 in two months, though."

"In March?" Ruri asked, breaking her gaze from the expensive looking chandelier at the top of the living room. It looked like it was made of crystals, and she marveled at the beautiful sight of light bouncing off it at all angles, making the room seem to glow. She looked at Aki as she asked. Aki seemed confused for a moment.

"No, Ruri-chan. You know it's not January, right?" He asked, seemingly thoroughly confused by her question. Ruri paused. Then shrugged.

"Maybe I have the dates wrong, I don't remember." Aki nodded quietly.

"It's April, right now. My birthday is June 2nd." Ruri nodded absently. She made a mental note of his birthday. She paused once more.

"What's that noise?" She asked, before her eyes widened. She knew this noise. She dreaded hearing this noise every morning, and every night. It was a car, parking in the driveway. Then she froze, the cold grip of fear spreading throughout her being as she heard his next words.

"Those are my parents."

As it had turned out, Aki's parents were very kind, much to Ruri's surprise. They were upset with Aki for bringing a stranger into their home, very well aware of the fact that they worried constantly that he would get hurt when they were away, but those thoughts were immediately cast out as they took a single glance in Ruri's direction. Aki's mother, a young woman with beautiful chocolate brown hair that looked silky to the touch and kind brown eyes, has immediately dropped to her knees and hugged Ruri, much to everyone's surprise. She babbled on about how she was sorry for whatever she had to put up with, and Ruri remained silent, glancing at Aki every now and then, as she felt cornered and scared. Aki managed to get his blubbering mother off of her and convinced her to go make some tea and prepare some food. She left with a single nod and mumbling out, "yes, yes, she must be starved! Look at her, all filthy and cut up! Poor child.." then her words were drowned out as she walked through the house, her heels clacking against the smooth floor as she went.

And then Aki's father was next to express his concern.

"Dear Lord, child!" This expression made Ruri flinch visibly, as if she had been struck. "What ever has happened to you? Who did this to you?"

Ruri said nothing as Aki whispered into his father's ear. She assumed he was explaining that her parents were very harsh with her, and she was only proven correct on her assumption as Aki's father's eyes widened before he, too, dropped to his knees and hugged Ruri close. She once again said nothing, stiff as a wall. Aki, once again, managed to get him off of her by telling him she was probably tired.

At once, Ruri was rushed to the bathroom. Aki's mother was persistent on giving her a good wash, tending to her wounds, then settling her down in bed with a warm meal and a hot cup of tea. Ruri couldn't believe how good that sounded. Yet, as she stood in the very big bathroom, at least big to her expectations, with Aki's mother behind her, she stood still, confused as to what to do next. Aki's mother noticed this.

"Darling, do you not know how to do this?" She asked gently, gesturing to the many knobs and handles of the shower. Ruri shook her head, brows furrowed.

"I only got to bathe when Mother had guests over," Ruri admitted. The older woman once again hugged Ruri close, and for once, Ruri welcomed it. It was warm, she realized, being hugged by someone. But that thought was sent racing out of her mind the moment she looked into the kind woman's eyes.

Pity.

She was being pitied, again.

"I'll show you how," the woman smiled gently, unspoken tears in her brown orbs. Ruri nodded silently.

"Okay, Mrs. Fujita," Ruri nodded again, remembering Aki's last name.

"Oh, no, child! Please, call me Suzume!" She gushed, turning a few knobs on the shower, which, in turn, made the water start to pour.

"Now, dear, you have to take off your clothes to get yourself clean!" Ruri did as she was told, albeit a bit hesitant. If she took off her shirt, Aki's mother would see her scars. She hated her scars. It reminds her the evil her mother had to beat out of her. And as she expected, as soon as she took off her clothing, Aki's mother gasped, covering her mouth. Ruri felt very trapped, now.

"Please go," she asked quietly, covering her scars to the best of her abilities.

"But, darling-"

"I can shower myself, thank you very much, Mrs. Fujita." Ruri remained polite. She was taught to be polite. After a moment of hesitation, Aki's mother nodded, walking out the door. Yet before she closed the door all the way, she turned and gestured to a pile of clothing in the corner and said,

"You can wear these once you get out of your shower."

Then left Ruri alone.

Ruri did shower by herself, after all she had nobody to clean herself all her life, it was no different now. She felt very glad to be rid of the dirt and leaves that coated her skin before. As she dried on a fluffy towel that she couldn't help but hold against her face for a while- it was _soo_ soft- she put on the clothes in the corner, as she had been instructed to. Oddly enough, the clothing fit her well. A quick glance in a full sized mirror told her what she had been thinking- it was Aki's clothing.

And then she did a double take.

She ran up to the mirror, almost slipping in the water under her cut feet. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

Her eyes, she gasped. Her eyes were no longer green. In placement of those eyes, the eyes her Father had always told her were beautiful- _like a forest_ \- were eyes the color of blood. Her eyes were a bright red, and Ruri couldn't help but think- did the evil break free? Maybe her Mother was always right, she was evil. And now that her Mother was not there to beat it out of her, it made its' way to the front?

Ruri spent a whole ten minutes standing in front of this mirror, holding the fluffy towel to her mouth and chin as she looked into her ruby red eyes. Then, she glanced above her head.

Numbers.

There were numbers above her head. She had no idea what they were doing there, or what they were for, but she followed their wobbling form curiously. Why were there numbers above her head?

Yet she didn't get a chance to ponder this question as the door was opened to her right. Aki's mother stepped through.

"Ah, darling, you look dashing! Who knew Aki's clothing would fit you so well! I hope you don't mind."

Ruri shook her head numbly, still staring into her red eyes, occasionally glancing at the numbers floating above her head. Was this normal? Could Aki's mother see this, too?

And that was exactly what she asked.

"Can you see it?" Ruri asked, her voice muffled in the towel.

"See what, darling?"

Ruri pointed into the mirror, above her head at the floating red numbers. Then, as Aki's mother glanced at her reflection, confused, Ruri caught sight of more numbers.

Above Aki's Mother's head.

Along with a name, she noted. It was in English, and she read it quickly. _Suzume Fujita._ Her name. Ruri's brows furrowed in confusion for a split second before Aki's mother shook her head, seemingly ignoring the child's question.

"Come, now, darling, your tea will get cold if you don't hurry up!" She grasped onto Ruri's hand, dragging her out of the bathroom gently. Ruri walked by her side quietly, still staring up at the floating letters curiously, dragging along a damp, white towel with her.

It was only mere moments later when Ruri was finally situated in a warm, comfortable bed, a tray filled with warm tea- she couldn't wait to try it, she had never had tea before-, a slice of warm bread, and a bowl of rice with some kind of meat and vegetables atop it. Ruri sat quietly, looking down at the tray.

"So, I know you're American so I don't know if you eat with chopsticks," Aki broke apart the two wooden sticks, placing them in his hands gently. "But we don't have any forks or spoons, so I'll just show you how to use it, okay?" He asked, grinning. He continued looking down at his own hands, motioning to show her how to use it.

"...and you just push your finger down like this, to make them pinch together to pick up food! And you bring it up to your mouth, and I don't think I have to tell you how to eat, haha," he joked, laughing. And in a split second his laughter was cut short.

Ruri let out a quiet sob.

Aki went silent, looking up at the 14 year old girl in question and confusion.

"Ruri-chan? W-what's wrong?" He asked quietly, lowering his hands. "Was it me- did I say something mean?" Yuri let out another sob, bringing her hands up to her face to conceal her tears. "Did I- did I say something wrong? Ruri-chan?" Aki dropped the chop sticks to the ground, bringing his hands up to gently touch Ruri's own hands, but flinching away when she let out another heart-wrenching sob. She shook her head as she cried.

"I- just-" she hiccuped. "You're being so-" she let out another sob, no doubt Aki's parents could hear it now. " _nice_ to me!" She cried harder, leaning over the tray. Her tears landed on the plate of food, soaking it up instantly. Aki looked at Ruri in confusion.

And all at once, it clicked.

He leaned forward and brought Ruri close to himself, wrapping his arms around her small, delicate frame as she cried harder. She didn't waste a second as she wrapped her thin arms around Aki's back, hugging tightly, as if she would lose him forever if she let go. Aki stared at the wall behind her quietly, hushing Ruri's cries with gentle caresses. He smoothed down her damp hair, muttering soothing words. He had almost forgotten, he realized, that Ruri comes from a supposedly abusive home.

Aki doubted Ruri had ever seen kindness before.

And after a few more minutes of crying, Ruri had fallen asleep against Aki's shoulder. She was tired, no doubt from how much she had been through already. Aki took the tray from the bed, looking down at Ruri one last time before leaving the room.

He didn't know what to do with her.

And yet, as he put the tray on the kitchen counter, dodging the questions of his two _loving, warm and caring_ parents, he found that he didn't care if he didn't know what to do with Ruri. Because as long as she needed help, he would be there to help her.

Even if she was wearing his clothes and sleeping in his bed.


	3. Chapter 3

**_((You guys are way too nice to me I s2g. Anyway, thanks for so many kind reviews! I'm gonna answer a few questions you guys had before going on to the chapter._ **

**_Does Ruri have Shinigami eyes, now? Yes, yes she does._ **

**_Will she go out with Aki? I do plan on making Aki have some kind of attraction for Ruri, but I don't know if it'll turn out to be anything serious._ **

**_Does Ruri know anything about Death Note, the anime/manga, or is she going in blind? A little bit of both. She knows a few details about the show, considering she's allowed to watch an hour of T.V. every week, and she got hooked on that show. She doesn't know every detail, but she knows most of the main characters and the such._ **

**_Anyway, that's all the questions you guys had. Ask more, and I'll get to them in the next A/N! Enjoy the chapter!))_ **

Ruri Shinju- she would never really get used to saying her last name first- lived with Aki and his parents for the time being. She was practically adopted into their family once she told them about her past. She told them how her mother would beat her, to get the evil out of her she would say, she told them how her father had passed away a week before she ran away, she thinks it wasn't an accident, and then she made a quick fib and told them her mother was dead as well. She knew lying was bad; her mother made sure she knew that, but she was afraid that if they told her that her mother was still alive, they would bring her back there. She didn't want that. She decided lying was better than going back.

Ruri enrolled in middle school with Aki two months after she moved in with them. Of course, by the time she had been enrolled into school, Aki had turned 16 and the school year was almost over. When it began again, Aki was no longer in middle school with her- he was now in his first year of high school. Ruri was scared and nervous to be going to school alone, but the principle was kind enough to give Ruri a helper- the helper would walk her to class every morning and help her remember her schedule better, and, if need be, helped with homework or in class.

Although, as it turns out, and as everyone around her quickly learned, that last part was unnecessary. Ruri, like before, was a very quick learner. Because of her private tutor, she was already a few years ahead in school, which made homework and the like very easy for her.

The teachers loved her- she was soft spoken, kind, and loved to help others. They often trusted her to help them with tasks as well, such as grading, handing out papers, ect. Ruri would often volunteer to help in any way that she could, and she quickly gained popularity because of her trustable, friendly nature. Ruri didn't know exactly when she became popular in her school, but she knows that she made a lot of friends there.

She was no longer scared that Aki wasn't there.

Ruri never took the last name as the Fujitas, not for any reason in particular other than the fact that she loved her new name; it was beautiful. She didn't want to change it.

She always came home- she could call it that, now, she had a _real_ home now- with straight As in advanced classes, and see the adoring and excited faces of her family- her _new_ family- when they read her report cards. From then on, Aki always came to her when he needed help on his homework, and his parents even asked her advice occasionally. She learned that she was very good at giving advice to people.

Ruri's cuts and bruises healed up quickly- quicker than she'd ever seen herself heal, really- but she was still always careful to wear long sleeved shirts and no shorts. Wearing those would show her scars. Even now, she still was very afraid to show her scars to the people around her. Showing her scars made people pity her.

Ruri also came to terms with her new eyes. She didn't know how or why she had them, but she knows she did and there was nothing to do about it, so she simply accepted it. She also didn't know how or why she could look above someone's head and see their names, along with some floating numbers. She never learned what those numbers meant, or what they were for. She didn't care, either. She would never tell anybody what she saw. They never believed her, so she would ignore it.

Then the school year ended, and Ruri was sad to learn that the Fujita family was moving to another part of Japan- she also never learned how she got to Japan in the first place. The last she knew, she was in America-. Ruri was angry that she had to leave all her friends behind, but she was used to keeping to herself. No matter how kind and loving the Fujita family was, their kindness could never undo so many years of hatred. She was born and raised to be quiet, to keep her thoughts to herself, and not make a scene. That's what she was taught, and that's what she'll do.

But she was angry, all the same.

Aki managed to convince her that it wasn't worth staying angry over, as she had given them all the cold shoulder while they were packing, and the angry thoughts were wiped from her mind the second Aki brought up the subject of making new friends, and a new school. Ruri liked new things. It was exciting. So instead of being angry while moving, she was happy and excited.

As it turns out, Ruri was not very good when sitting in the back of the car. She got sick whenever she sat in the very back, so they always let her sit in the middle- they owned a family van. Aki's parents always wanted to have more kids- of the car. She was happy for this. She also decided that she loved rod trips, as they had called it. She had never been on one before. After hearing this, Aki's parents were determined to make her first road trip happy and exciteable. They stopped along the way to sleep in different hotels, and Ruri was happy just to bounce on the clean beds for hours on end. Aki made a comment on how she never ran out of energy, and she then promptly passed out under the sheets. Aki took his statement back immediately.

"Where are we going?" Ruri asks, looking out the van window as she kicked her legs back and forth, holding a bad of chips. Aki had made her try it, even thought she was hesitant to eat something she had never heard of before, and she ended up loving them.

"We're moving to a new part of Japan, Ruri-chan," Aki's father, Kohaku Fujita, responded. Ruri was happy to learn that all of their names meant something pretty, just like hers did.

Aki's father's name, Kohaku Fujita, meant "Amber Field".

Aki's name, Aki Fujita, meant "Bright Autumn Field".

Aki's mother's name, Suzume Fujita, meant "Sparrow Field".

Ruri loved to learn what peoples' names meant.

"Yeah, but what part of Japan?" Ruri asked, switching back and forth between Japanese and English. She began to take Japanese lessons before she went to school. By the time she went, she knew enough to get the gist of what they were saying, and she continued to learn in school. By now she was almost fluent- she was a very fast learner, indeed- but wobbled between the languages sometimes.

"Kanto Region," Suzume answered.

"Ohh," Ruri nodded. Aki stayed quiet, having fallen asleep half an hour ago, resting his head against the glass window quietly. Kanto sounded familiar, Ruri thought. Where had she heard it before?

"I've been there before!" Ruri suddenly gasped, smiling.

"Really?" Suzume turned in her seat from the passenger side of the front, looking at Ruri with an expression of surprise.

"Well, I heard of it before!" Ruri fiddled with the hem of her sleeves. It was a nervous habit of hers. "In a show I used to watch."

Suzume went quiet when Ruri brought up the topic of her past. Everyone in the family never bothered to ask Ruri about it, and as days went by, Ruri slowly forgot about it as well. Suzume tried to keep the topic light.

"Ah, interesting! What show was it, darling?" She turned back to the front, smiling at Ruri from the mirror. Ruri hummed, thinking for a moment.

"Death Note."

Suzume furrowed her brows at the name. "That sounds like something a young girl like you shouldn't have been watching."

"Yes, it was very violent," Ruri nodded once.

Nobody spoke after that.

It took nearly 3 days of driving, not including the times when they stopped to sleep in a hotel or buy snacks from a gas station- Ruri found that she loved sugary things, and Suzume and Kohaku were very excited to give her plenty, making her promise to brush her teeth every night- before they arrived in Kanto. Then, another hour of driving before they got to their new home. Ruri was the first one to jump out of the van.

She ran up the steps to her new house quickly, ruby eyes wide with excitement. She turned the knob, pushing the door open, and then-

nothing. The door wouldn't budge. Ruri was still for a moment before stomping her foot once in frustration before turning around to face the other members of her family.

"The door's locked," Ruri pointed at the door angrily.

Suzume laughed. "Yes, Ruri-chan, I have the keys right here." Suzume held up the keys to the house, and Ruri was quick to run out and grab them. "Ruri, ask politely," she scolded. Ruri froze.

"I'm sorry. Can I please have the keys?" She asked nicely, lowering her eyes. Suzume must not have realized why she was suddenly upset, but she handed her the keys anyway. Ruri walked up the door this time, excitement dimmed, but not gone just yet. She unlocked the doors and stepped inside, not needing to flip on a switch as natural sunlight flooded in through the windows. The awed at the wide, empty room.

"It's so EMPTY!" She shouted, jumping around the room, her excitement back, full throttle. She could hear Kohaku laughing outside as he and Suzume unpacked the van, Aki bringing things inside.

"Hey, Ruri-chan, come help me bring stuff in," Aki grunted, placing down a heavy box full of things Ruri didn't care to find out.

Ruri nodded.

"Only if I get to pick my room!"

It was four hours later when everything was brought in, half of it unpacked, and only a third of it was put in their proper places. The table had been unpacked a moment ago, along with a few boxes of kitchen-ware, and they all took a break to begin making dinner. It was late, now, and Ruri had been asking for food all day. Yet, before they could began pulling things out of their newly stocked refrigerator, a knock sounded at the door.

"I'll get it!" Ruri jumped up with an excited smile, racing to the door after Suzume nodded toward her. Aki stood behind her protectively as she opened the door wide. She paused.

"Who're you?" She asked in English. The woman at the door paused for a moment, confused, before the young girl with her smiled.

"You speak English?" The young girl asked. Ruri nodded, completely forgetting about how Japanese people, in Japan, probably spoke Japanese.

"A-Also Japanese," Ruri spoke quickly, stumbling over her pronunciation. The young girl at the door laughed before the older woman, Ruri assumed she was her mother, hit her shoulder gently, scolding her in fluent Japanese about laughing at Ruri's pronunciation. Ruri's face flushed a tint of pink, looking down. She wasn't very good at Japanese just yet.

"I'm sorry, your Japanese is very good!" The girl quickly spoke in Japanese before switching to English. "My English is not well," she mumbles, smiling. Ruri laughs at her terrible pronunciation.

"Ah, well," The mother speaks up, holding out a tray for Ruri to take. Aki takes it instead. "We heard about new neighbors moving in, and we wanted to come say hello!" She bowed politely, folding her hands together as she introduced herself, and her daughter.

"My name is Yagami Sachiko, and this is my daughter, Yagami Sayu." Sayu also bowed politely, smiling.

Ruri nodded once before returning their bows. "My name is Shinju Ruri!" She said excited. "I'm 15," she added as an afterthought. She technically turns 15 next month, but close enough. Sayu perked up.

"Oh? So am I!" She grinned.

"We would love to have you over for dinner, if you'd like to come by," Sachiko smiled warmly, looking around for the parents. Suzume and Kohaku came up to the door behind them, smiling.

"We would love to!" Suzume answered in fluent Japanese.

Ruri almost had trouble keeping up with their conversations, as it was all in Japanese and they spoke rather quickly. She simply stayed quiet, sitting up straight in her seat. The Yagami's house was very nice, she noted. They kept it very well clean.

Ruri perked up, hearing her name come up in conversation. She listened closely, trying to decipher what they were saying.

"Ohh? Light-san seems like a genius! My dear Ruri-chan gets the highest scores in her classes, as well," it was obvious Suzume was flaunting Ruri's abilitied. Ruri felt very proud about this.

"Really?" Sachiko awed, glancing down at Ruri. "She definitely seems like a proper genius!" She laughed politely, Suzume and Kohaku joining in. Ruri glanced around the table.

Sitting next to her was Aki, he was talking with Sayu, who sat across from him. Ruri wanted to talk to Aki but she did not want to intervene. That would be rude. Sitting on her other side was Suzume, and Kohaku was sitting next to her. Sitting right across from her was a boy, he was taller than her and very good looking. She flushed every time his gaze landed on her. He didn't talk much int he conversation, only when he was brought up or was asked a question. Finally, across from Ruri's adoptive parents sat Sachiko, conversing with them politely yet friendly. There was no Father, Ruri noted.

"What's your name?"

Ruri looks up in surprise. She straightens her back and looks around, her gaze locking on the handsome boy in front of her. She flushed again, keeping her mouth shut as she thought.

She was definitely very jealous of his chocolate brown hair swept off to the side neatly, which looked soft to the touch. Her own onyx black hair only reached to her shoulder blades- she had cut it two months ago- and she never liked her red eyes, whereas his golden honey-colored eyes glanced down at her curiously.

"R-Ruri," she squeaked, eyes slightly wide as she continued looking at the handsome boy.

"Ruri, hm? That's a beautiful name. You're definitely as beautiful as a pearl," he smiled. Her tummy felt weird, and she nodded numbly. "My name is Yagami Light."

"N-nice to meet you, Light-kun." Light laughed quietly, Ruri loved the sound.

"Please! You can just call me Light." She nodded once more.

Ruri could hear the table go almost silent, and she looked around cautiously, glad to have broken her prolonged eye contact with the boy. Sayu was gigling, covering her mouth as if to stifle the sounds, and Sachiko and Suzume were smiling with something akin to pride in their eyes. Kohaku looked very protective, like a father should be when a boy talks to their daughter. Aki was smiling, looking down at his food quietly

Sayu was the first to speak up. "Awh, you two are sooo adorable together! Two beautiful geniuses talking is, like, my secret OTP," she laughs. Ruri doesn't know what "OTP" means, but she assumed she didn't want to know. Sachiko and Suzume laugh together, seeming to get a joke that Ruri didn't understand.

Light just looked at her, smiling with that dazzling smile of his.

She felt very cornered. Light, seemingly noticing this, plays it off by saying, "Please, guys, you're embarrassing me!" They go back to their own conversations, and Ruri smiles at him genuinely.

"Sorry about them," he spoke quietly, eating some food after speaking. Ruri shook her head.

"It's fine."

"I meant to ask, actually," he began after swallowing. Ruri followed his movements closely. "Are those your actual eye color?" He asked. Ruri stiffened. Up until now, nobody had really asked about it. She assumed they never noticed it, but she never knew why as it was obvious to her.

Ruri nodded. Light grinned.

"They're beautiful. Like rubies." Ruri nodded again, looking down. Her face was probably just as bright as her eyes by now. Light simply laughed it off politely, ending the conversation there as he continued to eat his dinner.

Ruri wasn't sure what it was about him that made her feel weird, but she thinks that she liked it.

Yes, she thinks, looking up at Light who was now talking with his mother about some project in school.

She did like it.


	4. Chapter 4

_**((Alright so my official page says I update this story every two weeks, but I'm just so excited to give new chapters to you guys. I'm just as impatient to write it as you are to read it! Anyway, thank you again for all of your kind words and your reviews! I read all of them, and I check practically every hour if there are any new ones. Also- I have the specific dates in which everything happens in the manga, from when L was born to when Misa was appointed top fashion magazine! So everything will be correctly within the time limits. Which means Ruri met Light and his family a few months before he found the Death Note.** _

_**Also, this is the longest chapter in the story so far! Over 3,400 words long! Woo! I hope you guys are happy about this long chapter haha** _

_**Anyway, enjoy the chapter!))** _

Ruri thought a lot, after that night. She thought about a lot of things, really, but mostly she was reminiscing on the one show she was always watching, back in her old home.

Death Note.

It never occurred to her, at first, that there was a possibility it was real. Of course, being raised the mother she had, she had always believed in higher beings and the such- definitely not as devoted as her mother, that's for sure.

It was only after she got home after eating dinner with the Yagami family- they were very kind, and she was excited to get to know them better-, she would lay awake in her bed late and night, thinking. The red eyes, she had no clue what they were or how they got there. Then she saw red names and numbers, and it felt familiar. Then she met the Yagami family. That also seems very familiar.

It was past midnight by the time it all clicked in her mind.

Death Note took place in Japan, in the Kanto region, specifically. She now lived in the Kanto region of Japan. Light Yagami picked up a notebook that allowed him to kill with a name and a face- she now met this very same Light Yagami. She was scared, for a moment. What if Light didn't like her and killed her with the Death Note? Then she remembered- she knew what time exactly that he got the notebook. He picked up the Death Note after school on November 23rd, _2003_. It never occurred to Ruri to ask what year it was, but now she knew.

It was currently July 25th, 2003. Not only was Ruri's birthday just a few weeks away- August 13th- but it was only a mere four months until Light picked up the Death Note and began killing people. What would she do about that? She had met Light before the killings began, so she knows how innocent he is, without the corruption of the Death Note. He was sweet and kind, and he made Ruri feel happy. What would happen to him after he picked it up? He would become corrupted and evil- the same kind of evil her mother accused her of being. She knows first hand how much that can hurt- she wouldn't wish it upon anybody.

She wondered if maybe there was a chance she could grab it before him. If he never picked it up, he would never become Kira. He would grow up to become a good detective one day. No, a _great_ detective.

On the topic of great detectives...

She couldn't let L die, either. Ruri was allowed only an hour of television a week, sometimes more if she was super behaved, but she was allowed to read whenever she wanted. Her mother always said that reading was good for her, even if it did teach her things her mother would have hated for her to know.

Such as picking locks. Or maybe how to tie a noose. Or how to properly hold a gun. How to properly _shoot_ a gun.

Ruri liked to read manuals, on a lot of topics. The more she learned, the more she felt like she was disobeying Mother without getting in trouble for it. Besides, learning was fun! Look at all the useful things she learned.

But on top of those manuals she loved to read, she also occasionally snuck a manga in with the books. Most often than not, those Manga were Death Note manga.

L was a quirky and odd person, no doubt, but reading the manga rather than learning of him from the anime meant that she knew more of his past. She knew about the murder of his parents, and being taken into an orphanage by a man who called himself 'Watari'. She fell in love with L's quirky personality rather quickly, admiring his free spirit and his ability to say what he wanted without fear of failure. She had always wished she had that kind of confidence in herself.

She was sad when he died. Of course, having the past she had, she was used to the prospect of death. She moved on quickly, but was always saddened whenever she glanced at her small pile of manga books.

She would find a way to protect him, she would find a way to protect Light as well.

She would.

And with this thought in mind, she fell asleep.

* * *

Ruri began taking notes the very next morning.

She arrived here, in this.. _world_ , as she's begun to call it, three months ago, on April 18th. Or the 19th, Ruri didn't know the exact date. It was April. Good enough.

She met Aki. Aki took her in and she became a part of his family.

She began going to school two months after arriving in this world, on June 9th. She definitely remembers this day- it was the first time she had ever gone to a real school before. It was also a few days before Aki's 16th birthday.

Which was on June 12th.

It's now July 26th, 5:53 AM.

Light will pick up the Death Note on November 23rd. That is exactly four months and five days away. Ruri makes a little calendar inside her drawer, making a note to mark off a day every day, until November 23rd.

It's also 18 days until Ruri's 15th birthday, she can't help but smile. Then she remembers she is making notes about how to save people, not on birthdays.

Light is currently 17 years old, she also notes. She doesn't know whether this is important or not, but she notes it anyway.

"Ruri-chan!" She hears Suzume's voice down the stairs of her new home. "Come downstairs for breakfast, it's almost time for school!" Ruri puts her notes away quickly, grabbing her single strap backpack and heading down the stairs in her socks, careful not to slip on the clean wood.

Breakfast is eaten quickly, and she runs out the door. Then she quickly runs back in after stepping on a sticky leaf and remembering she isn't wearing shoes yet.

"Ruri! Slow down, child!" Suzume scolds, worrying as she watched Ruri put her shoes on it record time.

" 'Kay, bye, Mom!" Ruri shouts, running out the door. Any more scolding dies in Suzume's throat as she smiles gently. Ruri learned a neat trick in order to get out of trouble with her adoptive parents. They had always wanted more children, so the idea of Ruri being their own child is very heart warming to them. Whenever she gets in trouble, she can almost always get out of it by simply calling them "mom" or "dad". She found this very useful.

Especially considering she gets in trouble all the time.

Ruri makes it to the bus quicker than Aki does, and he huffs as he sits down next to her. "You couldn't have waited for me?" He asks, glancing down at the girl practically buzzing in her seat. She shakes her head of shoulder-blade length onyx hair quickly, almost whipping herself in the eye with her own hair. After a moment of fixing her hair back into place, she looks at Aki.

"Aki-kun! Lots of things happen today!"

"Wow, you're that excited for school, huh?" He asks in English, knowing it's easier for Ruri to understand. Ruri is silent for a split second. She hadn't meant school, but she quickly reminded herself that Aki did not know anything about the Death Note- not like she did. In fact, she was certain he knew absolutely nothing about it. So she nods her head quickly.

"Yes! Imagine all the friends I can make! What if the teachers are mean? Do you think they'd like me?"

"Who wouldn't like you, you crazy ball of energy," Aki laughs, placing his hand on Ruri's head, like he always does. She looks up at him, a smile on her lips. She nods once, a determined expression on her features.

"Everyone will like me."

Aki didn't have the heart to tell her what bullies were.

Imagine the surprise when she learns that there were two familiar faces in her knew school.

"Aki-kun! Light-kun! Whaaaat?" She asked in wobbly Japanese, looking between the two boys, confused. They, too, also seemed confused. Or, rather, Light seemed confused, but Aki just smiles knowingly. Ruri notices this. She points at Aki.

"You know what's happening." It was a statement, not a question. Aki laughs then nods his head once.

"Ruri-chan, you're a genius. You're top of your class, even though you take _advanced_ classes! Mom and Dad saw this, and so they told the people here at Daikoku Private Academy about it. They, too, noticed how brilliant you were, and decided to put you in a higher grade," Aki explains confidently. He was happy to go to the same school that Ruri would be going to.

Ruri and Light are both silent for a moment, thinking things through. Light opens his mouth to speak, Ruri didn't give him a chance.

"That means I'm in a higher grade than both of you!" Her ruby eyes wide, she grins.

"What?" Aki and Light ask at the same time.

"Because I was raised in my grades, but you're still in your normal grades- which means I was too smart for my school to keep me in my regular classes- which means I'm smarter than both of you!"

Aki nods his head without a doubt. "I already knew you were smarter than me, no questions asked."

Light, however, didn't accept this so easily. He grinned.

"Well then, let's see who can get the higher grades in school, Ruri-chan." Ruri smiles.

"I accept your challenge!"

* * *

It's four months later when Ruri begins watching Light very closely.

It's November 21st now, when she suddenly remembers the notebook, and she watched his every move in class. She didn't care that she was ignoring the teacher, no matter how rude it seemed to her. She knew all of the things he was teaching anyway, so she could spare a few hours to focus on the boy sitting to her right, three seats in front of her. He was taking notes, occasionally looking out the window. She hummed thoughtfully before beginning to take her own notes.

They both continued this challenge of theirs throughout the school year- in fact, it made both of their grades rise considering they were both working hard to keep up their grades. Light and Ruri both raised in popularity very quickly in this school of theirs, and in their families. They were both the top of the top- in every way, according to the school newspaper. Not only did they both share the same grade as the best in the entire school, but both were voted cutest highschoolers that year. She remembered reading an excerpt on how they would make a genius couple(both literally and metaphorically), but she ignored that.

Not really. She pretended to ignore it, but no matter how many times she told herself how Light was a killer and a bad person in the future- if he picked up the Death Note that is- she couldn't help but still admire him in every way. He was handsome, the first person she'd ever met that could keep up with her in conversations, and often they worked together on projects. Many kids swooned over the both of them, and highschoolers every took 'secret' photos of the two of them whenever they worked together. They really are determined to get the two of them together.

But she ignored those- pushed them to the back of her mind, really. It was only two days until Light picked up the Death Note that Ryuk(she had forgotten his name up until two seconds ago, actually) drops in the human world. She finds herself blaming him for everything. If he hadn't dropped his notebook because he was bored, none of this would have happened.

But she also pushed this to the back of her head, remembering how she had laughed at Ryuk's silly antics all the time, back then. She would most likely fall for his humor once more.

"Ruri-chan?" Ruri jumps in her seat, focusing on the plain papers in front of her. She looks up.

"Oh, Light! Hello," she smiles, ignoring the fluttering feeling she gets every time she's alone with him. Technically, there were still several students in the room, as well as the teacher, but they had all backed away from the two as if to 'give them space' and they held out their phones, giggling to each other and making bets on when they'd kiss or get together. Ruri pretended not to hear them.

"Class is over, now. You did hear the bells, right?" She's faintly reminded of L, hearing church bells from time to time. She also ignores this. She finds herself ignoring a lot of things, recently.

"Ah, yes, I did. I was just, thinking.." She stands up, stuffing her papers neatly into her single strap, purple and green backpack. She wasn't too much of a neat freak, but she couldn't stand it when she can't find something, so everything has a certain spot. She made sure to put them all there carefully. Light smiles at this, one of the many quirks he'd learned about the odd girl since meeting her.

"Thinking?" He hums. "About what?"

"Nothing in particular. Just anything and everything that crossed my mind." Ruri is no longer surprised at how well she could speak Japanese. She was practically fluent, now. Light and Aki often told her how they couldn't tell the difference, anymore. She was very happy about this.

Light "ah"s and offers his hand to her. "Allow me to treat you to lunch."

Ruri thinks for a second. Then, she smiles. Maybe she can keep him busy when the notebook falls. She could grab his attention when it's falling, so that way it won't be seen by him. By the time it's hit the grass, he wouldn't notice it from that far away. Somebody else would probably pick it up, but at least it wouldn't be Light. Ruri takes his hand.

She smiles at the girls swooning in the corner, taking photos of the two prodigies holding hands.

She can't help but giggle when she poses dramatically for one of the photos, jokingly. She was sure that was going to backfire on her somehow, at some point, but it was fun to do anyhow.

Once seated in the cafeteria, across from Light and sitting right next to Aki- there were a lot of other kids sitting around the table that Ruri didn't know the names of- Light orders for her. She wonders how he knows what she likes to eat, before reminding herself that she wasn't the only observant one here.

"So, Ruri," Light begins after the food was placed between the two of them. I look down at the cherry pie slice happily as Light breaks his chopsticks in half, picking up a piece of steamed vegetable before talking. "I believe I'm ahead of you, in grades." He then eats the vegetable, smiling politely- and yet there was a viciousness behind the smile. Ruri had quickly learned that he was very competitive, and he hated to lose to anyone.

He quickly learned she was just the same.

"No- not the last time I checked," she picked up a plastic fork, taking a delicious bite of pie as Light hums thoughtfully. She speaks with her mouth full, not afraid to be herself around Aki and Light alone. "In fact, last time I checked," she swallows. " _I_ was ahead of _you_."

Aki dips his head low, holding down a chuckle. He had often found Light and Ruri arguing about scores. He couldn't believe how childish they both were, no matter how amusing it was to watch.

Light narrows his eyes at her. Ruri does the same, albeit a mischievous grin on her face. She wasn't afraid to show how competitive she was, no matter how Light had always liked to hide his competitive and a bit childish nature behind good acting, leaving hints and notes that only Ruri could pick up to know how he was truly feeling.

"Well, I guess we should just wait until we get our report cards, hm?" He asks, a small smile tugging at his lips as he eats his food slowly.

Ruri simply hums in response as she eats her cherry pie.

Light, Aki, and Ruri all walk to class together, after lunch was over. Ruri stood in off to the left, her shoulder grazing the wall slightly. She never felt comfortable leaving an empty space behind her, so she walked at a slight angle so she could see behind her, but didn't look odd as she walked forward. Aki and Light were both used to this by now.

Light sits in his seat, and Ruri sits in hers, glancing at him occasionally. Aki sits on the other side of the room, sadly, so he's further away from the both of them.

 _That's fine_ , Ruri thinks. _I can watch Light myself._

And she does. She listens to the teacher, occasionally taking notes on anything she didn't know or didn't think she could remember all on her own, while still glancing at Light every now and then. Everything is going fine. She glances down at her paper, skimming over her notes quickly, before looking up at the clock. It was almost 3:30 PM, when school would be out for any high schoolers who didn't have clubs or other after school activities. Then her eyes widen, mouth opening just slightly as she states at the letters directly below the time.

The date.

Her calendar was off.

She looked at Light quickly, almost giving herself whiplash as she sits up straighter in her seat.

Light looks out the window, watching a black book fall from the sky curiously.

 _Damn it._ And to make matters worse...

"Anyone who completed their Pre-College forum may leave early. Have a nice day," the teacher drones on, not bothering to look up from his desk.

Ruri is mad at herself for not doing the forum earlier. She was too caught up in classes and watching Light like a hawk to complete it. Now it would be her downfall. She watched hopelessly as Light collects his things and walks out the door leisurely, as if to mock her.

The second class ends for the rest of the teenagers, Ruri jumps out of her seat, shoved all of her things into her bag- she flinches and promises herself to clean it all up properly afterward- and runs out the door. Aki's voice trails behind her as he calls out for her to wait up, but she ignored him.

 _Sorry, Aki_ , she thinks, feeling guilty for leaving him behind, _but this is so much more important._

She races out the door, almost slipping on the wet concrete- it had rained a few hours ago- looking left and right for Light. She finds him a few yards away, stuffing the notebook into his bag, then walking off. She holds her breath, then, standing still.

She messed up. She messed up- big time.

And she didn't know how she was going to fix this.


	5. Chapter 5

**_((More questions from the readers:_ **

**_Why can't Ruri see her own name in the mirror(in chapter 2)? This is actually a very important little detail! I'm glad you caught it haha. But it's also a secret.. it comes in, later. Specifically, a little while after she meets Ryuk, then it'll be explained!_ **

**_Why is Ruri suddenly happy and excited, despite her terrible past? This is Ruri's character development, here. Her happiness and joy is a mask, a facade, if you will. She's afraid to confront her past, so she pretends it isn't there, so she simply keeps herself in a joyful mood all the time. Remember it chapter four, I said "Ruri ignores this, too. She seems to be doing this a lot, recently." There was kind of a double meaning behind that._ **

**_Is Ruri turning out to be like L? Well, I will admit I based Ruri a bit off of myself. Not her past, that's for sure, but her weird quirks are my own! I, myself, am a huuge fan of sweets. I also get straight A's in advanced classes. I'm no genius, but I'm good in school. So Ruri was based off of me, but not off of L. It was just coincidence that they have a bit in common._ **

**_Anyway, that's all the questions. Enjoy the chapter!))_ **

Ruri wasted no time in running up to her room when she got home from school. Aki scowled at her for running off without him, but he didn't say anything about it as he went to the living room.

"Do your homework, Ruri!" Suzume shouted from the kitchen, most likely making a studying snack for Aki and her both.

"Okay!" She responded, closing her door afterward. Ruri had already finished her homework, in class, in fact, but it didn't matter if it kept Suzume from coming up here as she worked.

Ruri sat on her bed, sitting crisscross, and neatly fixed her backpack. Organizing things calmed her down bit by bit, and she eventually sat on her bed, thinking over what she was going to do next.

She couldn't do nothing, she had already decided this. But she still didn't know exactly what _to_ do. She thought about maybe finding L, but she didn't humor that thought for a second longer. L was not only a world renowned detective, but she also didn't know where to even _begin_ on tracking him down. The only places she knew where he stayed was _after_ the Kira cases began. She didn't want to wait that long to talk to him.

Ruri thought about another idea, though. An idea she agreed upon.

She put her backpack away neatly in her closet, hanging on the back wall by a hook, then made her way to the door to her bedroom.

"Oh, Ruri!" Suzume smiled, standing in front of Ruri's now open door, holding a small plastic container. "I know you're hard at work on homework, but I was wondering if maybe you could do something for me?"

Ruri didn't speak. She nodded her head once.

"Great! Could you take this," she stuffed the container into Ruri's hands, "over to the Yagami's house?" She grinned.

Ruri knew this was just a ploy to get her to spend more time with Light. Suzume had been doing this often, finding excuses for the two families to hang out, and then talking with Sachiko excitedly when Light and Ruri would talk together. Their parents were practically hell bent that they get together, and Sayu really wasn't helping.

"Okay," Ruri smiled to Suzume. She knew what Suzume actually wanted, but she didn't care about that. After all, her plan did actually involve her going over to Light's home, she had just needed a reason to go. Now she had one.

Suzume grinned. "Thank you, darling!" Then she went down the stairs, into the living room with Aki. Ruri glanced down at the container. They were snacks that Ruri and Light often had when studying together. She wrinkled her nose. Sometimes she didn't like how observant her mother could actually be. Ruri made her way downstairs to the front door nonetheless.

After putting on her light purple jacket- she loved the cold and was practically immune to getting sick from it- she went out the door, making her way next door instead.

She knocked three times. She only had to wait for two seconds, making her assume that Sachiko and Suzume probably thought this up together. She fought down her expression of amusement as she smiled politely to Sachiko.

"Ah, Ruri-chan! Hello! Come in, come in," she moved off to the side, ushering Ruri inside the door. Ruri walked in and immediately made her way to the kitchen and living room, where she found Sayu watching T.V.

"Hey, Sayu," Ruri spoke, a friendly grin on her face. Sayu perked up at the sound of her name. A smile lit up her face as she saw Ruri standing there.

"Ruri!" She jumped up and hugged her, squishing the container between the two of them. Ruri was glad it was made out of plastic, so the food inside did not get squished.

She may not approve of their plan, but she still approved of the food.

"What're you doing here?" Sayu asked, holding Ruri out at arm's length by her shoulders. Then her face took on a teasing expression as she spoke before Ruri could open her mouth. "You're here to see Light, aren't you~?" It really came as no surprise that Sayu would be in on this, and it came as no surprise that she would tease her about it.

And yet Ruri flushed anyway.

She nodded her head once, "Yes. Suzume wanted us to study together." Ruri held up the container of snacks. Sayu made an "o" expression and smiled again. She plopped herself down on the couch, looking at Ruri with an unreadable expression.

"He's up in his room." Oh.

Ruri nodded once before walking off, looking up at the stairs. Sure, she had studied with Light several times, very often, in fact, but they had always stayed downstairs, in the living room or in the kitchen as they studied together quietly. And now... she looked up at his door. They'd be alone. In his room. Together.

She hoped he didn't keep his door closed when he studied, that would be too much for her.

"Liiiiight," Ruri called quietly, pushing the door open with her hip. Light was sitting on his chair, and right there in front of him, on his wooden desk, was the Death Note.

"Oh! Ruri!" He smiled, closing the note book and placing a sheet of paper over it. She looked down at it curiously before returning her gaze to the boy. "What are you doing here?"

Ruri held up the container in her hands, smiling. "Suzume and Sachiko thought it would be a brilliant plan to give me snacks and send me over to your house."

Light nodded, understanding at once. Their parents had been doing this often, he already knew this.

Ruri shuffled over to his bed, flopping down with the container in her hands. Once settled, she opened it up and took out a piece of chocolate.

"But they like to give us lots of snacks, so that's fine by me," Ruri grins. Light laughs, standing up.

"Hey, those are for studying!"

Ruri sticks her tongue out at him.

* * *

It's been four days since Light picked up the Death Note. She knows that Ryuk shows himself on the fifth day, so Ruri made up some excuse to spend time with Light on that day. Of course, as expected, neither parents objected.

"No funny business," Soichiro Yagami stated from his position on a comfy chair in the living room, joking yet serious all the same. Ruri had met Soichiro a few days after her first time visiting the Yagami family. She had been happy to find out that they did, indeed, have a Dad. She wouldn't wish for them to lose their father, the same way she had lost hers.

"Yes, sir!" Ruri did a mock solute, running up the stairs as Soichiro grumbled under his breath about teens.

"Hey, Light," Ruri entered the boy's bedroom. Light jumped from his spot in his chair, turning to look at her with wide eyes. He calmed himself immediately, but Ruri knew why he had been jumpy.

She was too late. Ryuk was here already.

This was only proven further when she heard his hoarse voice chuckling from the bed. She didn't turn to look, knowing full well that that would give away that she could see and hear him. Ruri had figured out soon after learning about the Death Note that her eyes were red for a reason. Shinigami Eyes. Which meant she could see and hear Shinigami without having to touch their notebooks.

Ruri forced herself to smile, holding onto her single strap backpack with both hands. "Gee, Light, what's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost," Ruri laughed politely. Ryuk laughed from his bed.

" **Not a ghost, little girl. A Shinigami** ," He chuckled. Light sent a little glare his way, but it was over quickly. No doubt he thinks that Ruri didn't see it. He smiled at Ruri.

"No, I just.. wasn't expecting you. What are you doing here, Ruri?"

Ruri scoffed and walked further into the room, standing before Light as he leaned away from her in his chair. She bent down and waved her hands in front of his face.

"Are you okay, Light? Did you bump your head? I told you yesterday I'd be coming over today!" Ruri could hear Ryuk snorting from behind her, and she couldn't help the amused smile that spread across her lips. She played it off as though she were smiling due to her mocking Light.

"O-Oh, yeah, right, sorry! I totally remembered, heh," He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked off to the side. At Ryuk.

" **Smooth**."

Ruri snorted, covering her mouth instantly. Light looked at her, surprised. She played this off, as well. "Smooth, Light." She grinned. Ryuk laughed behind her and Ruri was reminded of how she had loved his humorous personality. Light looked torn between telling him to shut up or talking to Ruri.

"Well," Light stood up quickly. He headed to his door. "I'm going to go use the rest room. Stay here and don't cause any trouble for Dad," he laughed half heartedly, and Ruri once again mock saluted him. Then he left, closing his door out of habit. Ryuk didn't leave. Ruri waited for a second, hearing Light's footsteps walk down the hall.

"Ryuk."

Ryuk's head perked up. He looked at the girl in the center of the room, confused, but amused. " **Me?** "

Ruri turned her head, looking Ryuk in his red and golden eyes. "Yes, you, Ryuk." She kept her voice low. Ryuk grinned. He didn't know what this was or how she knew who he was, but it oughta be fun. Then he actually looked at her, and almost did a double take.

" **Oh** ," He stated, looking into her ruby eyes. " **That's how you see me. Nice.** " Then he looked above her head. The room was silent as Ryuk continued staring at her, alternating between looking above her head to looking into her eyes.

"What?" She asked, quiet. She was sure Light would return any moment.

"... **You don't have a name above your head,** " he pointed above her, as if she could see it herself.

Ruri was taken aback, then composed herself. "So? I thought people with notebooks couldn't see each others' names, or something?" She mumbled the last part, mostly to herself.

" **No, that's with how long you got to live,** " he explained to her, moving as to stand up. " **I won't ask how you know this, but only people with 'note books' as you called it, can't see each others time of death, but can still see their names. Assuming they have the eyes,** " he added as a last thought. " **Besides,** " He now stood in front of her at full height. He towered over her small frame easily. " **You don't have a Death Note.** "

Ruri contemplated this. "So why don't I have a name, then?" Ryuk shrugged.

" **Dunno, kid. But whatever the reason, if you don't have a name,** " he looked down at her, his expression somewhat serious. " **A Death Note can't kill you.** "

Ruri paused. She was immune to a Death Note? All because she didn't have a name? But she did have a name! Ruri Shinju!

Ruri heard the door to the bathroom open on the other end of the hall, meaning that Light was coming back to his room. Ruri pretended to ignore everything that Ryuk just said to quickly mutter out a final sentence.

"Don't say any of this to Light."

Then the door opened, and Ruri took three steps back. Light looked in at Ruri messing with the pens on his desk, looking up at him as the door closed behind him. He didn't spare Ryuk a glance as he walked over to Ruri. "What are you doing?" He asked, glancing at her curiously.

"I'm looking at what kinds of pens you have. Ball point pens may be easier for you to hold, but you should try getting fine point. They're prettier in my opinion," Ruri smiled at him, holding out a single ball point pen. Light grinned, shaking his head as he took the pen from her hands.

"Duly Noted."

* * *

**_((All right so I know this chapter is short, but I'm glad to finally get the explanation about her name out of the way. If you're still confused, I'll explain it better right here:_ **

**_Ruri wasn't given a name at birth, which means she is name-less._ **

**_Just because Aki gave her a name when he met her, that name didn't become official. It's like Light coming up and saying his new name is Toby or something, it isn't official just because he says so._ **

**_Until Ruri officially changes her name to Ruri Shinju, on paper and by law, she is, so to speak, name-less._ **

**_Which means, yes, a Death Note can't kill her, because you need a name and a face to kill. Now you only have her face, no name. I hope I explained this better to you all!))_ **


	6. Chapter 6

**_((No questions, but responses to a few reviews:_ **

**_First of all- a Guest made a point that I thought to talk about with you all. They said that having Ruri, a 15 year old, in a relationship with L, a 25 year old, would be inappropriate, and I totally agree! But- did you know- L wasn't 25 when he began working the case. L died at the age of 25, and since the case had been going on for six years, he was only 19 when the case first began. L is only four years older than Ruri. And yes, I get he is an adult while Ruri is a teen, but don't you worry your pretty lil heads. I got everything all planned out._ **

**_To AquaLily- I actually had been thinking on that theory for a little while! I might actually use it as an explanation later on in the story, as to why she has the eyes, perhaps. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!_ **

**_MickeyLOLGirl- Mwueheheh_ **

**_Darkelf1996- If you go to my page, down at the bottom where it says "future story ideas", one of them is a Death Note fanfic idea, called "A Text Away". I was writing up some plot ideas for that when the idea of this story struck me!_ **

**_And to everyone else who reviewed- thank you! You honestly have no idea how excited I get every time I see I got a new review. On to the story!))_ **

It was the very next day, December 4th, that Ruri knew the Police Force had met L about the killings.

Light has yet to figure out that Ruri knows everything about the Death Note- about him _having_ the Death Note as well- and Ruri had to thank Ryuk for keeping her secret from him. Then again, she knew it wasn't out of the kindness of his heart- if he even had one- but rather, he found it interesting to see how it would play out from then.

Ruri had to agree, not even she knew how it was going to end, now. If it hadn't all fell onto her shoulders, she might have found it interesting to watch as well.

But it wasn't.

Ruri made sure to hang around with Light much more often than before, to watch what he does, when he does it. She was no longer afraid of getting killed by his Death Note, for two reasons. One being the obvious explanation Ryuk had told her about her name the other day. That made her feel much better, especially when the second Kira came out to play- she couldn't remember their name.

Two being she was fairly certain he was in love with her.

Ruri never liked to assume the worst, and the possibility that one of her closest friends had fallen in love with her seemed to be the worst to her, but she couldn't ignore all the signs. He had been asking Ruri over more often, even going to her house some times, and had invited her on several outings with school friends. He always made sure to walk right next to her, and occasionally his hand would brush her own. When that happened, he would smile and rub the back of his neck.

Ruri didn't know whether to distance herself or to accept his advances. He was handsome, kind, polite, and Ruri couldn't deny the fact that she might actually love him, too. She had never loved anyone before, she had only felt a family love for her father but never a love like this. She didn't know what to do. She tried to be subtle about this one night at dinner.

"Mom," Ruri began, face already tinted pink as she thought about how to word this properly. Suzume looked up from where she was serving out rice for the three others at the table.

"Yes, darling?" She hummed.

"...what do you do..." Ruri began slowly. "When you... _like_ someone..?"

Everyone at the table froze.

Kohaku's hands clenched the paper he had been reading and slowly put it down on the table, looking at Ruri with a stern expression, yet something akin to pride shone in his dark green eyes. Ruri always loved looking at his eyes- they reminded her of what her own eyes used to look like.

Suzume grinned and practically squealed like a high schooler- thought Ruri would never make a sound like that- and sat down next to her husband, folding her hands together and leaning forward, as if to pry for more information.

Aki looked at her, both shocked and excited. He looked as though he were having trouble deciding which emotion to display.

"Well, hon," Kohaku began, voice wavering as he thought about his little girl growing up.

"Who is it?" Suzume butt in, leaning forward further. Ruri was sure she was going to fall right into her bowl of vegetables and meat.

"I- uh," Ruri stuttered, looking down at her hands, twiddling her thumbs absentmindedly. She simply shrugged her shoulders, suddenly regretting ever bringing the topic up.

Suzume giggled, leaning into her husband. "She's in _love_ , darling!"

"I-I wouldn't call it love, Suzume," Ruri mumbled. Suzume paused, knowing that she had probably gone overboard if Ruri had gone back to calling her by her name.

"Oh, darling, I'm only joking!"

"If you really like him," Aki spoke up for the first time since they had gotten home. She had been wondering why he was so silent. "Then tell him. You won't get anywhere if neither of you know how each other really feel." And then he went back to eating.

Suzume and Kohaku both nodded, although Suzume was admittedly more excited about it than her counterpart.

Ruri nodded, silent. "Okay."

* * *

It was the next day that Ruri was watching T.V. with Aki on the couch, her father was sleeping in and Mother was preparing some lunch for school that day, when the moment Ruri had practically forgotten about, happened.

Lind L. Taylor appeared on her screen after the announcer had announced that there would be an interruption in their daily schedule.

Ruri shot up, out of her seat, and walked into the kitchen. She knew what was going to happen next. She didn't want to watch the man die.

"Hey, Mom, is lunch ready, yet?" She asked politely, a small smile on her lips.

Suzume held out two packs for her to take hold on, smiling gently down at her young daughter. "Yes, Ruri, here they are. Yours is the green one."

Ruri took hold of the two containers, nodding, before walking out of the room. Aki was sitting up, on edge, and Ruri could see the man, Lind L. Taylor, face first on his desk. Ruri ignored the feeling of dread that snuck into her body at the sight of the dead body. She was used to this, she reminded herself. She had seen lots of death and despair back then. This is no different.

So she walked into the living room slowly, standing next to Aki as the gothic 'L' appeared on screen.

" _I-I never thought it was possible, but I had to test it!_ " Ruri couldn't help but pause at the sound of his altered voice. She had never gotten far enough into the show to hear his voice, unaltered before. She could only wonder what it truly sounded like. She had no problem knowing what he looked like, though, the Mangas had helped her in that aspect.

"Isn't that scary, Ruri?" Aki spoke up, now standing. Ruri realized how tall he had grown over the months. He was at least half a head taller than her, now. She didn't like being so short. "It's scary how someone is killing without having to be there, huh?"

Ruri looked to Aki, then to the screen. L's speech was over, now, and the regular show was back on. She nodded once. "They think they're better than everyone else because they have special powers. I don't think it's right."

Aki nodded, "Yeah, it's crazy."

* * *

It's December 11th by the time Ruri decides she needs to actually do something.

She has an immunity that nobody else has- nobody except the Shinigami, of course, but she didn't think they really wanted to stop any of what's happening. Especially not Ryuk.

It was late at night, Ruri was laying in bed while listening to the radio display the news. She was hardly listening as they talked about how 23 criminals were dying in their cells, every hour, on the hour. She needed to stop Light, somehow.

But then again- did she _want_ to stop Light?

She had been thinking on this topic for a while, a week perhaps, and she was conflicted, herself.

What Light was doing was wrong. He wasn't above others, he wasn't a God. He was just a kid, killing people he deemed not worthy to live in 'his world'.

But Ruri didn't know whether this was good or not. These people... these people were like her Mother. They hurt and abused those around them, simply because they _can,because they **want** to._

Ruri had always wanted her Mother gone. Now Light was getting rid of these terrible people, like she had always wanted to come true. She remembered laying down late at night, holding the manga close to herself and hoping that Kira would one day come and take her mother away from her.

Now it was all real, and she wasn't sure whether she wanted this or not.

She put this aside, however, and told herself she'd think more on the topic another time. What she needed to know right now was how to protect L. No matter how much she had hoped Kira would be real one day, she always knew L was a good person. Quirky, yes. Odd, definitely, but he was good nonetheless.

She knew for sure she would protect him. She wanted to protect Light as well, but she didn't know if this was possible. He could be too far gone by now. The Death Note corrupted his mind, the mind of the boy she had become friends with. She missed that boy. But he was gone, long gone, and all that was left of him was a ghost, just a shell of who he used to be.

* * *

December 18th comes by quickly, much quicker than Ruri would have liked. Today, FBI Agent Raye Penber would be killed by Light.

Ruri rushed around her room, grabbing her single strap backpack and putting a few things inside it as she thought.

She grabbed a few sketchbooks. Light was going to kill Raye Penber, a good man and a soon-to-be husband. Perhaps one day he would have kids with his fiancee, and Ruri did not want to deny him the pleasure of having a family of his own. She had no doubt he would make a great father one day. Like her own.

She neatly put a pack of coloring pencils as well as a few colored pens into her backpack. She had the chance to stop Light, to make him stop the killings. Well, she had no doubt she would be able to stop him from killing Raye, but she definitely doubted being able to stop him from killing, period. He wouldn't give up that easily, she knew this for a fact.

Ruri put on her purple and green jacket, lifting the backpack and throwing it over her shoulder as she walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, where she found a small plastic container sitting on the counter, waiting for her. She grabbed this and put it inside her backpack as well.

"Alright, Mom, I'm going out!" Ruri called throughout the house. She wasn't sure if Suzume could hear her, but she never left without saying something, even if nobody was listening. Sure enough, Suzume did hear her, and called back a quick,

"Alright! Stay safe, darling!"

Ruri left the house after that. She knew where Light would be, on the train with Raye Penber. He would corner the man and make him see how he was Kira, then he would demand the names of the other agents, then kill him as he stepped off of the train.

There were two things she could do, and she didn't know which option to take. She thought on this as she pedaled to the train station on her bike.

For one, she could convince Light to not kill the FBI Agent. This shouldn't be too hard, as she could simply tell him she knows everything about the Death Note and how he was Kira, and he would be surprised, then angry, then upset as he would have to delay the killing of the Agents to another date so he could think over what I had said. This would get him to stop, if not at least delay the death of the Agent Raye Penber, but it would give away her only trick. She had kept quiet about it for a reason. She didn't want anybody to know that she knew who it was, who was behind all the killings. She would give this away if she told Light about it.

Her second option, she winced as she rode over a bump in the road, making her sway on the bike before correcting herself, was to make herself a Kira suspect to L. This, also, was rather simple. All she had to do was be there when Raye Penber died, get caught on cameras doing something with Raye right before he dies, or as he's dying, and L would suspect her already. He would probably look into her past, in which he would find nothing before her 15th birthday as she had not existed here before then, and then probably send someone to watch over her every move and follow her home every day. She didn't like the idea of being followed, but if it would get the attention of L, so be it.

Her mind was made up when she got to the station.

She had just made it, right in time for her to lock up her bike then jump onto the train before it closed on her. She immediately raised her hood over her face as she saw Light standing a few feet away from her. She brought up her turtle neck underneath to cover her lips and nose. She loved turtlenecks. They were cool.

Back on topic, though- she took a wary step away from Light as he talked into a mic, no doubt talking to the Agent.

It was too late for the first idea, she thought as she listened in on Light telling Raye to put the envelope above his head and into a holding area for luggage. So, then, her mind was made up as to which plan she would have to take. She moved among the passengers, standing to the left of Raye, a few seats away as the train pulled to a stop. Raye stood up, and Ruri watched painfully as Light walked away, folder in his hands. He didn't look back, not even as Raye fell to the ground.

This was it, Ruri knew. She stepped forward, lowering her turtleneck and slowly taking off her hood. She kneeled down and flipped Raye onto his back. He was gone.

She closed his eyelids solemnly, and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Then, she looked up, knowing there was a camera right in front of her, watching the whole scene. She looked right into the camera.

"I'm coming, L."

Then she was gone, disappearing as the crowd formed around her, pushing their way to the front to get to wherever they had to be. She moved with the crowd, only bringing her hood up once more to cover the top of her head. She knew this would frighten L, and she would perhaps become the number one suspect on his short list.

She hoped she wouldn't regret this.

She got home later than she thought she would, Suzume rushed to greet her in a crushing hug as she wailed and cried about how she thought she lost her. Ruri knew she was exaggerating, as even Kohaku was slightly annoyed by her display of cradling the young girl in her arms.

After basically having to pry herself from Suzume's arms, she made her way up the stairs quietly.

She hated herself. Maybe if she had shown up earlier she could have stopped Light from killing Raye Penber. He was a good man. A good person, and a great husband, she was sure. She was angry, at everything. But especially at Light. How could he have done this? Did he not care about the people he killed?

Ruri made up her mind, then. What Light was doing was wrong. Maybe when he was killing criminals did she not mind, but Raye was not a criminal. Raye was a person, just like her and Light are. And now he was nothing but a dead pile of bones. She thought about Naomi. She would cry, and she would shut down after hearing what happened. Then she would come back with a vengeance to catch Kira. Light had gone too far, Ruri knew. And as she laid in bed that night, looking up at her ceiling as she thought over everything that had just happened, and everything that was bound to happen, she thought.

She would not let Naomi Misora die.


	7. Chapter 7

_**((Thanks for the reviews, you guys! They mean a lot. I'm glad you're liking it! I've been going back and rewatching a few of the episodes, and even stumbled upon Death Note Relight! If you don't know what that is, it's basically Ryuk telling the tale of what happened when he went down to the human world to some other Shinigami, it basically skims over the important parts of the show. It's helping a lot to remind myself to keep them all in character.** _

_**It also showed me that I was wrong! L was actually 23 when the case began. The case lasted for six years, with** _ **Near** _**,** _ **after** _**L had died. Darn, I hate being wrong ):** _

_**But don't worry, I am damned determined to make L/Ruri a thing. I will pull some magic outta my ass to find a way! I have a plan!** _

_**Anyway, enjoy this chapter!))** _

Ruri knows that it's almost a full month after the Lind L. Taylor broadcast when L and his small team of trustworthy police officers would start looking into the disappearances of the 12 FBI Agents that had mysteriously vanished.

All of the remaining FBI Agents that had come to Japan to look over this Kira case had died, on December 28th.

Ruri doesn't remember most details from the anime, but the manga she remembered quite well. She knew it would be January 5th when L and his Kira Taskforce team would look through the footage of the dying FBI Agents.

Which means it would be January 5th when L finally sees Ruri on that train, with Raye Penber, and then says something into the camera. She knows there is no audio for this camera, but L is a pretty good lip reader, he'd be able to figure out what she had said. Even if he wouldn't be able to know what she'd said to him, he'd still look her up, considering she was with Raye, then promptly disappeared.

Once again, she found herself hoping she wouldn't regret this.

Every day since then, Ruri had been building up her fitness. She joined track team in school, and considering how she had spent her whole life running, she was the fastest runner on her team. Great, now she would gain popularity through sports as well. Yet, despite not wanting any more attention to her name, she continued on with this. She ran in track, and would go for long walks or jogs often. She wanted to be ready to run at a moments notice, though she wasn't entirely sure what she would be running from.

She hoped it wasn't L.

Finally, January 1st came up. This would be the day that Light had killed Naomi Misora, but, as she promised to herself and to Raye Penber, she would not let this happen. That's how she found herself sitting on the couch of the Yagami's house.

"Woooow, Hideki Ryuga is just amazing, don't you think!" Sayu turned from her position in front of the T.V., dangerously close may Ruri add, looking at Ruri, who sat on the couch with her legs crossed underneath her. Ruri pulled herself from her thoughts on what she would do to keep Light away from the girl, looking back at the 15 year old before her. She smiled, a look of adoration on her face.

"Sayu, you're going to hurt your eyes if you sit so close to the T.V. like that," Ruri simply stated, smiling at the now pouting girl.

"Hmph, just because you're super smart doesn't mean I have to listen to you!"

Ruri hummed. "No, but you'd have to listen to your mother, wouldn't you?" She gave Sayu a mischevious glance. Sayu gasped in mock betrayal.

"You _wouldn't_!"

"Wanna bet?" Ruri leaned forward, grinning. The two were silent for a moment, before the both of them broke out into laughter.

"I'm glad you girls are getting along," Sayu's mother, Sachiko, spoke up from the kitchen. "But try to keep it down, all right?"

"All right!" Both girls responded. They giggled quietly for a moment before Sayu went back to her show and Ruri continued letting her mind wander. Then Sachiko came into the living room.

"Sayu, your father works so hard and so late! Would you mind bringing him a spare change of clothing?"

Ruri instantly perked up.

"Momm-" Sayu began, pointing to her show. Ruri saw Light walking down the stairs.

"I'll do it!" She jumped up, smiling. This was the perfect way to make sure Light wouldn't get to Naomi.

Sachiko and Sayu both looked surprised for a split second, before smiling. Sayu smiled because she assumed Ruri was doing this so she could stay and watch T.V., Sachiko smiled because _of course she would, she's such a sweet girl_.

"Oh, are you sure, darling? I wouldn't want to-"

Ruri practically jumped over the back of the couch, grabbing onto the bag of clothes. She didn't take it from her hands, though, knowing full well how rude that would have been.

"No, no! It's no problem, really. I'd love to see him again, anyway!"

Sachiko seemed to think for a moment before nodding, dropping the bag into Ruri's hands. "All right, if you say so." She smiled gently. Ruri returned the smile.

"Hey, what's going on?" Ruri heard Light speak up from the bottom of the stairs. She held her breath as he came closer.

Light had yet to suspect anything about her, suspicious or not, so Ruri could only assumed that Ryuk had decided to not say anything to Light. _Good_ , she thought, _he better not tell anybody_.

"Nothing, Light. Don't worry about it," Ruri spoke up before Sachiko had the chance to explain what was happening. Ruri could hear Ryuk chuckling from the top of the stairs. Of course he was, he probably found her suffering to be _hilarious_.

Light looked shocked for a moment, then opened his mouth to speak. Before he had the chance, Ruri spoke up once more. "Hey, shouldn't you be studying for the exams?"

This seemed to shake him from his spell. He perked up instantly, nodding his head once with a small smile. "Oh, yeah. I just came down here to get a snack." Ruri nodded, then began walking to the front door. She pulled her simple green and purple jacket off of the wall, beginning to put it on as Sachiko talked to her.

"Be careful, darling! It's cold out there, and I don't want you to slip in any of the ice."

"I won't. Thanks."

Then she was off.

It took Ruri almost a full 12 minutes to figure out where she was supposed to be going. She knew she was supposed to be headed to the station where Soichiro's team was supposedly holed up, but she didn't know where to go to get there. She wasn't a fan of reading maps.

She kicked through the snow with her zip up boots as she thought.

She had always loved the cold weather- snow and rain alike. That, plus her pretty much invincible immune system meant that she could stay out in this kind of weather a lot longer than most people could. She was thankful for this, for it was starting to get dark by the time she finally found the place.

Naomi was inside, talking to a man at the front desk.

"Please, I just need to see one of them! I have important information regarding the Kira case!"

The man at the desk sighed, rubbing one hand through his messy hair. He looked like he had had a long day. "Look, Miss, nobody's here! You can leave a message, but that's as good as it gets!"

Naomi shook her head, clinging onto her purse like a life line. "But that's not good enough!"

"Excuse me?"

Both man and woman paused in their argument which had begun to turn heated just moments ago, to look to the owner of the small, hesitant voice. There, stood Ruri, boots covered in snow and hair damp with the melted ice. Naomi took in the small girl's appearance.

Ruri wore plain, fitted blue jeans, which looked comfortable enough to run in and were slightly faded at the knees. Naomi assumed she ran a lot, as the simple zip up boots she wore were not only styling to fit her outfit, but also had a special pattern on the bottoms that would allow her to run in even the nastiest weathers. Said boots only came up mid-calf and folded outwards. She wore a dark purple jacket with bright green accents, it was unzipped to show her long sleeved, dark grey shirt with the words, "Check Yo'self" on the front in bold letters. The girl also wore fingerless grey gloves.

Naomi looked down at the girl, confused as to show she was.

"Yes, who are you?" The man behind the desk asked, as if he could read Naomi's thoughts. Or if he was also curious on who the mysteriously dressed little girl was. Said little girl looked up at the man, then to Naomi, then back at the man. She held up the bag of clothes, placing it on the desk.

From the looks of the girl, Naomi would assume she was 16, or 17. She wasn't tall, but not short either. She was slender, built with an athletic frame, and a polite smile. Her wavy black hair fell past her ears and ended right above her shoulders, ending in small curls.

"My name is Shinju Ruri, I'm here to drop off some clothing for Soichiro Yagami," she spoke. Her words were soft, and Naomi found herself relaxing. She had been so stressed about finding someone from the task force to talk about her information, and the death of her beloved was still fresh on her mind. The girl before her, however, brought an aura of peace and calmness, and Naomi could only smile gently at the young girl.

And then the girl looked her way, and everything she had just thought about the girl died in her throat, coming out as a shocked gasp.

"What?" The girl asked, just as shocked as Naomi was, once hearing her gasp. Naomi looked at her with a mixed expression of anger, shock, confusion, and.. pity.

"...You.. look like someone I know, is all..." She mumbled out, now clutching her bag to herself once more. Ruri tilted her head to the side, curious, as the man behind the desk took the clothing and started dialing a number.

"Oh? Who?" She asked, genuinely curious. She was certain it couldn't have been Raye, she looked nothing like the tall brunette man. Could it really just be a friend of hers that she looked like? Maybe someone from her past?

"N-Nobody, just a friend, is all," Naomi looked down, unable to look the girl in the eyes.

Then it clicked.

Ruri took in a deep breath.

Her burning red eyes and short(probably messy, due to the heavy winds outside) black hair...

She looked like Beyond Birthday.

"Oh. Okay," Ruri muttered, her change in attitude clearly evident on the shocked, and somewhat hurt, expression on her face. Ruri turned to look at the man behind the desk. He hung up the phone and smiled at Ruri.

"I told him his clothes are here, he'll be here to pick 'em up some other time. He says thanks."

Ruri nodded.

"Have a nice day, Ruri!" The man grinned to her as she turned. She offered a polite smile back, along with a mumbled "you, too".

As she left, she thought over what had just happened.

She looks like.. Beyond Birthday... the murderer who tried to get one up on L by burning himself alive, only to be stopped as Naomi Misora had figured out his plans and managed to get to him in time. Now, he sits somewhere in an insane asylum, heavily guarded 24/7 as to avoid another accident like before. Except, to him, it wasn't an accident.

Then Ruri thought, for just a brief second- she _does_ look a lot like him... so, what if...

What if she claimed to be his sister?

"Hey!" Ruri was pulled from her thoughts, and she realized she had almost wandered into the road. It didn't matter if she had, anyhow, considering there were barely any cars driving by. One every ten minuted, perhaps.

Ruri turned to see Naomi jogging toward her, breath coming out in short puffs of crisp white air. She paused in front of the girl, steadying herself as she almost slipped on the thin ice underneath her feet. She cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry," she bowed.

"What?" Ruri asked, taken aback. She took a single, half step backward in surprise.

"I'm sorry- about, uh, offending you in any way." Naomi looked at the girl, almost shuddering when looking into the ruby red eyes of the younger.

Ruri paused, then smiled politely. "Oh, no, don't worry about it." Ruri didn't know why Naomi thought she had offended the girl, unless she somehow knew that she knew about BB, which was highly unlikely.

Naomi shook her head, her long, straight black hair falling over her shoulder at the action.

"No, I shouldn't have looked at you that way. I'm sure you get picked on a lot because of your red eyes," Naomi glanced into the blood red orbs, "And I should have been polite. I'm sorry." She bowed once again. Ruri forced her polite smile to stay on her face, even if it felt out of place.

"It's fine."

Naomi stood at her full height again, inches taller than the teenager. "You're sure?"

Ruri nodded, her own black hair whipping around her as a strong gust of cold, winter air blew in. Naomi shuddered. Whether it was because of the air or the fact that she had been staring into her eyes for a while, she didn't know.

"Of course. It was nice meeting you, miss Misora. Have a nice night." Ruri bowed politely, then turned around to go back home.

"Wait." Ruri froze. She realized all at once that she had just called Naomi by her name- a name that she didn't tell her.

"What's your name?" Naomi asked, apparently not realizing the same thing that Ruri had. She hoped that she wouldn't realize it any time soon.

"Ah- Ruri Shinju."

"Well, Ruri-san," Ruri recognized the suffix as a formal way of referring to her as "miss". Naomi was some what relaxed, and Ruri was tense, just waiting for it to strike Naomi that she had used her name. "Soichiro Yagami..." Ruri perked up at the name. "He's on the task force, yes?"

"Ah- yes, yes he is." Ruri turned to face the woman fully, finally realizing she wanted to have a conversation.

"And you know him? Personally, that is?"

Ruri nodded, absently watching her breath fog up in the winter air. "Yes, why?"

"Because, well..." Naomi struggled for a moment, contemplating whether or not Ruri could really be trusted. She knew if must be difficult, considering the last time she trusted someone with messy black hair and blood red eyes, it didn't end too well.

Naomi made up her mind.

"I have important information about the Kira case, and I think I can help with it."

Ruri paused, then smiled. If Naomi joined their task force, then Light wouldn't have killed her, then they'd catch Light, then...

They'd catch Light.

Ruri came to the sudden and startling realization that she didn't want Light to be caught. She knew what he was doing was bad, she agreed with this wholeheartedly. But she was still... close to him. She still cared for the boy, no matter how corrupt he turned out to be, or how corrupt he got with each passing day. She wanted to save L...

But she wanted to _protect_ Light.

"Ruri-san?" Naomi asked. Ruri looked into her deep, ashy grey eyes. Then she smiled.

"I think that's a great idea."

* * *

_**((Sorry for the short chapter, but the next one should be really long... we're close to bringing in L!))** _


	8. Chapter 8

_**((Responses to reviews:** _

_**reula: Thank you! Hopefully this update was soon enough for you (:** _

_**Saraze: First of all, thanks for the compliment, I'm glad you're liking the story so far! Secondly, to address your question on why Ruri likes Light so much despite him being a killer- You'd have to think of it from her perspective. All her life she's been living with abusive and hateful people, such as her mother, so all her life she'd been wishing someone like Light would come along and save her. And now, it's finally happening. It's basically the same reason Misa had fallen in love with Kira, because she got justice on someone who had wronged her. Now it's happened with Ruri, except she isn't infatuated with him like Misa was. She considers Light to be a friend. Like L, she never had many friends in life. She cherishes him and his companionship, so she's reluctant to destroy it so easily. That's about it!** _

_**Also yeah, the age gap thing isn't that important, but I still have a plan that I want to use. You'll love it, trust me. It involves BB.** _

_**DarkDust27: Damn right, it got real! And it only gets more real from here! :)** _

_**Anyway, enjoy this chapter! I made it long, like I promised In fact, it's the longest chapter in this story! It's over 4,000 words long! Wow! Also, if you haven't yet, you should totally go check out ArtisticallyDeadly on DeviantArt.** _

_**Enjoy!))** _

Seven days after meeting with Naomi, Ruri sat alone in her bedroom, getting ready for the school day.

Ruri had kept her promise to Naomi, in which she would help her get to the Kira task force so she could share whatever important information she had found out. Naomi and Ruri had traded emails- Naomi wanted to trade phone numbers, but Ruri didn't have a phone- and promised to keep in touch. Ruri had gotten home late, again, was bombarded with questions on where she had been, _again_ , and then went up to her room to think.

Again.

Ruri glanced around the room, her ruby eyes landing on a small, dark grey walkie-talkie on the edge of her desk. A day after first meeting Naomi, they had gone for a walk to talk about the case- Naomi was surprised at how sharp Ruri was when it came to the smaller, unseen details- and how to get in touch with them, when they had stopped inside a shop to get out of the cold. There, Ruri had spotted sets of walkie-talkies on a stand.

* * *

"Ah, it's so warm in here!" Naomi smiled. Ruri nodded, rubbing her bare fingers together. She hated wearing gloves, or, more accurately, she hated having her fingers covered. When she did have to wear gloves, it was the fingerless kind.

"Let's sit over there," Ruri offered, pointing to a set of chairs and tables set neatly in the corner of the store. A few people sat about the area, talking about whatever interested them.

The area was well lit, though the lights that lit the area swung noisily above them, creaking and grinding metal against metal. Ruri ignored the sounds, though it did get on her nerves to hear metal scraping against metal, as she sat in a wooden chair. The table, seeming to be made of marbel or some other smooth material, was cold and flat. She placed her hands on the top of it, huffing as the cold seeped through her already freezing jacket.

"It sure is cold out, hm?" Naomi asked, trying to start up a conversation.

"Yeah," Ruri hummed, looking around the place. It was always habit to see how many people were in the room and if she recognized any of their faces. She didn't recognize any of them, save for Naomi. As she was turning, her eyes landed on a stand on the other side of the small store. The stand wobbled on its legs, seeming almost delicate in the warm air. On the stand was many objects, ranging from winter hats to sun glasses.

And there, in the center, was a pair of walkie-talkies. Ruri perked up, smiling. She had always wanted to use one of those, they seemed kind of cool, like the kinds of things spies would use in a movie.

Naomi must have seen the same thing, because she smiled, got up, and went to pay for them. Ruri watched, staying in her seat, as Naomi talked with the man behind the register. They finally settled on something, a price perhaps considering there were no price tags on them, and Naomi placed down a few slips of paper before coming back over to the table. She dropped one of the walkies onto Ruri's lap. Ruri picked it up, turning it in her hands as she looked over the device.

"We can use these," Naomi said. Ruri looked up at the woman, perplexed.

"How?"

Naomi blinked. "To communicated over long distances, of course. Have you never used a Walkie-Talkie before?"

Ruri shook her head, "No."

Naomi smiled politely. "Well, they're used to talk to each other from far away. We can use these to talk whenever we're not together, since, you know, you don't have a phone."

"Oh," Ruri looked down at the thing. It really did remind her of the things used in Spy movies. "Like a spy?" She asked, her voice small. Naomi grinned.

"Just like a spy!"

Ruri perked up, then, and looked at the small device with a smile. "Can I be a spy?"

"We can both be spies. I'll be Agent Penber."

Ruri paused at the name. Her dead fiance. She pursed her lips, but pretended to stay happy all the same. There was no reason to let Naomi know that she knew of her fiance's death.

"I'll be Agent Synclair."

Naomi tilted her head. "Synclair?"

"Yeah! Synclair. Kind of like the food, eclair, but with an S."

"Ah. Clever name."

Ruri grinned.

* * *

Sighing, Ruri stood up from her bed, making her way to her desk. She picked up the walkie-talkie, turning it in her hands to look down at the front where a piece of tape had been put down, and written in red marker was the word, "Synclair".

Two days ago, Ruri had introduced Naomi with Light's father. Not only had they hit it off great, Naomi sure was polite, but Soichiro had taken her to L to talk about the information she had found out. She had told me she was a part of their task force, now, since she had worked with L in the past. I pretended to be shocked about this part, though. She also didn't need to know that I knew L as well. After I congratulated her, we went out for ice cream- she wanted to thank me for getting her on the task force, but I wouldn't really accept anything she tried to do. She eventually just took me out for a treat and we called it even.

They were one step closer to finding Light, now.

And today, Ruri notices with a glance to her hidden calendar(the one she had put inside her desk. It held information on what would happen, and when it happened), would be the day that the task force would look over the video footage of the train station, where Raye Penber had died. Then, Naomi would no doubt recognize me. She'd probably feel betrayed, or tricked. Then she'd get angry at herself for, once again, falling for a trap by someone she knew she couldn't trust.

Except, she didn't trap her. Ruri was completely honest with her(even if she did keep some things a secret) and was nothing but helpful. She knew Naomi would be angry at her and probably wouldn't trust her afterwards.

Oh, well. Ruri had saved Naomi's life, like she promised, and she was proud of this, even if Naomi didn't know anything about it. It didn't matter whether Naomi knew or not, as long as she was alive.

So today, Ruri slung her backpack over her shoulder, was the day she'd probably get in a hell of a lot of trouble. Naomi didn't know where Ruri lived, but L could probably(most likely) find out in minutes, so that was only a slight advantage. It'd give her practically four minutes before he found her, but she had nothing to do with this advantage. She'd let him find her, and then she'd be brought in, and then...

And then...

Then what?

Ruri didn't plan anything ahead of being brought in as a suspect of being Kira. What then? Would she spill everything, tell L the truth about her? About the world she was in, how she didn't belong there? How she knew the future of not only him and his successors, but basically about the entire case?

No. He wouldn't believe something like that.

Would he?

...

Ruri decided that she would not take the chance, not unless it was absolutely necessary. She had made it this far, she didn't want to ruin the progress she had made by getting thrown into an asylum because he deemed her insane. Although she really couldn't blame him even if she was sent to an asylum, she wouldn't have believed a story about other worlds either.

Then what _would_ she do after getting there? She could claim she had valuable information about the case, but then she'd be asked about why she was there with the FBI Agent at the time of his death. She didn't really have an answer for that. In fact, knowing L, she probably wouldn't have an answer for a lot of the things he'd ask her.

Ruri found herself regretting this more and more every time she thought about it.

And so she decided to stop thinking about it.

Instead, she set the walkie talkie down on her desk once more, then sat at her desk chair. She turned on the small lamp, looking over the papers containing the notes she had taken two months after when she arrived here. These notes contain everything she remembered about the show and the manga both, including dates of when the important things were to happen.

Ruri knew that soon, if L started looking into her, she would have to hide these notes. And if he or someone he sent to look after her were to look through her room, she might have to take the notes with her. Although Ruri didn't want to, she knew that if it came down to it she could just burn the notes.

Either way, she didn't really want them knowing the future, for some reason. If they found these notes, no matter what explanation she made for why she was with Raye that day, they would know something was wrong, she knew too much. Especially the parts detailing about L's past, and his successors. He wouldn't trust her after that.

Actually, Ruri was sure L wouldn't trust her at all, so that part didn't really matter.

Ruri sighed, shaking herself out of her own train of thought, continuing to look over the notes.

According to her eidetic memory, the next important thing to happen would be the Yagami house being put under surveillance, as well as the fake bulletin point saying that 1,500 FBI Agents would be coming to Japan in search of Kira.

Suddenly, Ruri froze, looking up at her calendar.

January 8th was the day both of those things happened.

Today was January 8th. It was also almost 6:45 now.

She jumped up, grabbing her backpack and stuffing her walkie talkie into the side pocket, then walked out of her room, making her way down the stairs and out the door.

Today is a Friday, a school day, and Watari would be placing the cameras inside the Yagami's household while Light was away at school, and Sayu and Sachiko were both off doing their own things. The house would be empty, Watari'd come up and place the cameras, then leave. Ryuk would tell Light about the cameras, and then Light'd trick them all with his damn ambidextrous hands.

So what would she do now? She thought this over as she rode her bike to school, careful to avoid any puddles. The snow had started to melt a few days before, the weather was getting warmer, and the sun was no longer hidden behind clouds.

And as Ruri parked her bike in front of the school, buckling it down to a bike-holding pole, she realized what she would do.

Nothing.

Ruri would do nothing.

She'd sit back and let things work themselves out, for now. She had already done her part, she was at the train station with Raye Penber, and she had not only _spoken_ to Naomi Misora about the case- which is a top secret, by the by- but she's the one who got Naomi on the case in the first place. Ruri had no doubt she was definitely a suspect of being Kira right now, and Naomi would be upset at her, but she would be able to explain- at least she thinks she would. Either way, she got what she wanted.

All that's left to do is play it out until something important happens, until something comes up, and then she can plan something from there. Until then..

"Hey, Ruri," Light greeted warmly at the front of the school. The school doors opened at exactly 7 AM sharp, and it was now 6:58 AM. Two more minutes. She had to wait two minutes out in the cold air with Light.

Ruri smiled. "Hey, Light."

"The snow's stopped, huh?" He asked, leaning against a wall, looking into Ruri's ruby orbs. She nodded, leaning up against the wall opposite to him. They looked into each others' eyes.

"Yeah. Kind of sucks, I like the snow."

"What, you didn't mind the cold, too?" He laughed.

"Not too much. I'm used to the cold, after all."

Light tilted his head. "Used to it? What do you mean?" Oops.

"I just mean- I was born and raised in the ice and snow, I'm _used_ to cold weather, dumb dumb!" She lied easily. It had become second nature to her, here. She finished off the sentence with a casual laugh, and Light smiled her way.

"Ah. Well, I wasn't. I can't wait for summer."

Ruri grinned. "Yeah, me too, Light."

Ruri's clock beeped as it turned 7 o'clock. The doors opened automatically, a few security personnel stood behind the doors and in the hallways, watching each student as they pass by, closely.

"Me too."

* * *

School went by as it always did.

Then again, there was no real reason why it shouldn't have gone by like it always does.

Ruri didn't know exactly what _time_ L looked through the footage, but she knew it'd be today, and even if he did look through it while school was in session, he'd never do something as drastic as kicking in the doors and demanding for her to be put in handcuffs.

At least, she really hoped it wouldn't come to that. Ruri didn't know how to talk her way out of a locked room and a straight jacket, assuming that was the worst she'd get.

"Ruri!" Ruri shook from her thoughts as she heard her adoptive mother, Suzume, call her from down the stairs. She subconsciously straightened her back, having been leaning against her desk idly as she thought, and then called back as she cleaned her desk swiftly.

"Yes, mother?"

Shuffling footsteps were heard down the stairs. "Could you take something over to the Yagami house?"

Great.

Ruri rolled her eyes shortly, then began walking down the stairs as she mumbled to herself, "Again, Mom? Really?"

She found Suzume in the living room, holding a bag of.. something. It wasn't exactly see through, so she couldn't really guess what was in there.

"What is it?" She asked, hoping it wasn't snacks for studying again. She was getting kind of tired of their parents always making them hang out together.

"Oh, Sachiko had lent your father some tools to fix the porch," she definitely remembered when it had hailed so hard the porch had broken into two, "and he never gave them back. I just found them in here, so I was wondering if you could give them back to them, okay?"

Ruri was both shocked and glad it wasn't a ruse to get her to be with Light. Don't get her wrong, she loved hanging out with him, he was a great friend and made for some great company, but that didn't mean she wanted to spend every waking hour with the boy.

"Oh- okay. I'll do that."

Suzume nodded, handed Ruri the orange, solid box- it was heavier than she thought it'd be- then left to sit on the couch and continue with whatever it was she was doing before Ruri came downstairs.

"Oh- Hey, Mom," Ruri spoke as she put the box down, taking her light jacket off the rack. "Could I stay over for a little? I promised to hang out more with Sayu."

"Of course, darling! Have fun, and don't stay out _too_ late."

"Alright."

She left, closing the sky blue door behind her. She turned and began walking, looking down at the small puddles in the ground as she made her way to the front gate of her home. After making her way through the front entrance and closing the gate-she had to put down the heavy box of tools just to latch it shut-, she made her way down to the Yagami's home.

And then she paused.

Ruri inhaled deeply, looking around without turning her head. She shivered.

She was being watched.

 _Well_ , she thought as she continued a slow pace to the Yagami's gate, _that was quick_. Had L seen the footage and sent someone out to investigate her, already? Or maybe someone else just glanced in her direction, or maybe she was just cold? No. Not only did she still feel the sensation of being watched, but she also knew to trust her instincts. They've never been wrong before.

"Ah, Ruri," Soichiro greeted her at the gate, from the inside. He had been sitting on the porch, reading a paper.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Yagami," Ruri was surprised to see him here. Shouldn't he still be with L? Does this mean he didn't watch the footage with the rest of the task force, and so he doesn't know that Ruri was at the train station in the final moments of Raye Penber's death? Or does he already know, and he had rushed home to ask her some questions.

Her question was answered when she walked past him, to get to the front door that he held open for her.

_Static._

He was wearing an earpiece, or some sort of communication device on his body.

Years of living in the dark had made Ruri's senses sharp- sharp enough to hear somebody speaking from the other line of the device, but not sharp enough to make out what voice it was- though Ruri used common sense to assume it was L- or to make out what they had said. She was through the door when the mystery person had spoken, so she wasn't close enough to hear the words. She'd have to get closer to hear whatever he was saying.

"So, what are you doing here?" He asked, closing the door behind him. Ruri took off her shoes after wiping them on the front mat, then held out the heavy orange box. She almost sighed a breath of relief when he took if from her arms.

"Mother told me to bring those tools back to you," She explained, taking off her coat and hanging it up on the rack by the door. She had gotten used to coming over so often, it felt like a second home to her. "-and I was hoping to hang out with Sayu. I mean, I know it's kind of late and all, but I promised her I'd come over some time. I can go up to her room if you want-"

"Actually," he cut in suddenly. Someone in the microphone said something, and Ruri once again wished she was closer. "Would it be okay if you stayed down here?"

Ruri didn't let her confusion or suspicion show. "Sure."

Soichiro Yagami nodded, then headed up the stairs, passing her on the way.

" _-distract her, we'll be there soon-_ "

Ruri felt her heart leap to her throat. She remained in the same position even as Soichiro made his way up the stairs slowly, occasionally glancing back at her. Once he was fully up the stairs, she started breathing again. Panting, even.

Was that L? She didn't recognize the voice. She was fairly certain she knew each of the task force's voices, except for L's, so if she didn't recognize it, it had to be L, right?

So then why did he say that? If it was him, did he already decide to make his move? And if he had- was his move really that drastic? "Distract her" he said, "We'll be there soon". Did that mean he was going to arrest her, maybe even kidnap her, like he did with Misa?

Or maybe, she thought as her optimistic side came out of hiding, he wasn't talking about her. It was a slim chance, but maybe he was talking about someone else?

Ruri glanced at the stairs. She would have to test this theory out, to see if maybe he was talking about someone else entirely, and as she saw Soichiro walking back down the stairs(at a faster pace, may she add), she had the perfect idea on how.

"Sorry, but Sayu is sleeping. You did come over late, after all," He explained, seeming as if he were almost out of breath. He was panicking about something on the inside, and trying not to let it show.

Ruri grinned, not letting any of her thoughts affect her physical appearance. "Yeah, I thought so. I should actually get home, now. Mom is probably already upset for being out so late, haha," She laughed, turning to the coat rack without taking her eyes off of Soichiro. She didn't blink as she watched his every move.

"N-No, please, stay! I'm sure Light is awake, I could get him for you. It seems like such a waste of time to have come over here and not get to see either of them, right?" He laughed halfheartedly. Ruri noticed the slight wavering in his voice, the nervousness seeping out of him. The poor man. A great cop, a terrible actor.

But now her theory had been proven wrong. L was coming.

And he was coming for her.

Ruri knew the cameras were installed already, as well as microphones. L was most likely watching what she was doing, now, trying to decipher her every emotion through her body language. She smiled politely on the outside, hiding a small smirk on the inside. She was a great actress, this she was entirely certain of. If she was able to trick Light with her acting, then tricking L shouldn't be too much harder.

Ruri turned her body back to Soichiro.

"Of course," she smiled. Soichiro seemed to deflate with relief as he nodded. He began going back up the stairs, poor man, before Ruri spoke up again.

"But while I'm here- would you mind if I had some cheesecake?" Ruri knew they had some leftover from yesterday night, when her adoptive mother had sent two cakes their way. Suzume had been baking with Ruri- she was getting quite good at it- and they might have made a bit too much for one family.

"Of course," he nodded. "Help yourself." The edge of Ruri's lips twitched as she thought about what she was about to do. It was stupid and dangerous, and would definitely make L want to catch her all the more, but she couldn't help but smile at the thought of messing with L's suspicions for fun.

Soichiro walked up the stairs and Ruri walked into the kitchen. Then she opened the window over the kitchen sink normally, as if just getting some cool air. The sink wasn't small, but not very large, either. Being as small and as skinny as she was, she could fit through it easily. Then she grabbed a piece of paper from her pocket- it was a schedule for the day, but she could part with it considering the day was over now- and a pen she kept on her front breast pocket. She began writing as she heard voices from up the stairs. So Light was awake, and was talking to his father, now. Good.

Ruri found herself mentally thanking Light for staying up so late, now that it would work as a suitable distraction for her.

She opened the fridge, placing the neatly folded piece of paper on top of the container of cheesecake quietly, then closing the fridge. She walked over to the sink. She knew L would be curious on what she was doing, since she was most definitely _not_ getting a slice of cake, but he would find no reason to call Soichiro downstairs for this odd behavior.

At least, not until what she does next.

Ruri raises her head, looking straight into a small, dim red dot in the corner of the kitchen, and smiled.

"Gotta be smarter, L."

Then she jumped out the window and ran.

* * *

_**((I'm so excited on where this is going. I'm super excited to write the next chapter too omg))** _


	9. Chapter 9

All right so I know you guys are probably like, "Wow another a/n so soon? author-chan must be having problems lol" but no

shhh

just shush and read

A few days ago(actually only two days ago) I started a lil tumblr account for Death Note! I know these A/Ns are probably annoying haha but go check it out? I'm kinda hoping to see some of my fans on there uwu

The tumblr account is called "DeathNote-InnocenceLost", and I have L set as my picture(i love him). Go check it outttt!

If the title doesn't set you off, then you should know it's set in this story's universe, which means Ruri, Aki, and every other OC I made will be in there. You can ask questions to each individual character, and ask for short one shots on there, too! I hope to see some of you guys there uwu

Anyway, I will also be answering to a few reviews and questions:

Kate: Haha. I thank all of you for the help and what not about the age thing, but don't worry about it! I have a plan for it, and it's not just for the age problem. It's gonna be a super kick-ass plot twist and I'm excited to write about it. You guys'll love it. Also wow I didn't know the legal age for consent was 13? Thanks for that, Kate.

DarkDust27: Not necessarily. He was going to detain her and have her put under arrest for suspicion of being Kira. If not Kira, then at least for suspicion of the murder of Raye Penber. The whole reason he's doing this instead of waiting it out like he usually would is because, like I said, he's good at lip reading, and he knew that she knew he was watching. He's worried about who she is, and how she knows who he is. He mostly wanted to interrogate her, but she's making it very difficult haha.

Reula: I also really like BB. Unfortunately for us both, it wasn't him. It was, in fact, L. However, there is a reason BB is one of the main characters of this story ;) Also, my super cool plot twist involves him, so that's nice too.

Thanks for the reviews! The next chapter should be up by the end of the week, or the beginning of next week!

week, or the beginning of next week!


	10. Chapter 10

**_((Update! I'm glad I got this out so quickly. As I mentioned before, I have no clear plot line in mind(except for this one surprise I'm planning on using hehe) so I actually just let these write themselves. I'm quite interested to see where this all leads, just like you all!_ **

**_Saraze: You and me both, buddy. I'm glad you found the last one entertaining! I like to make Ruri teasing and confident in herself, but clever enough not to overdue her plans and let herself get caught._ **

**_Lizzy B: Was this soon enough? Thanks for the compliment!_ **

**_Enjoy the chapter, leave a review, it helps me get these out faster!))_ **

Ruri could only thank her mind for being one step ahead of herself even as she did ridiculously stupid things. While jumping out the window, she had thought about needing the necessities.

 _Oh hell, what am I gonna do?_ She had thought, then she remembered she had brought her backpack with her. The single strap pack hit against her hip as she ran, weaving in between buildings and through backyard lawns to shake the few cars she had noticed was trailing behind her rather closely. After running through a yard and hopping over the fence, Ruri was glad that she was naturally athletic and for all the training she had forced herself to do these past few weeks, she hid in an alleyway, behind a dumpster, as the cars raced past her. She smiled as she panted, regaining her breath. It didn't take long to get her heart rate back down to normal, and she shifted through the contents of her bag quickly, hoping she had money in there. She certainly couldn't go back to her home, not yet anyway, as they would definitely go there first. She took each item out of the bag as she counted what all she had.

She had a few school textbooks, a pack of pencils, a few black pens, a single red marker, her walkie talkie still clipped to the side of her bag- Ruri had no doubt Naomi would try to use it at some point, to find her- and, Ruri sighed with relief, a stack of Japanese Yen. She counted through it, noting that she had about 120 dollars worth of it. She was internally grateful that she always saved some of her money whenever she got an allowance from her parents.

And then she paused as she began to shuffle the things back into her bag, immediately thinking of her adoptive family.

Oh damn, what would she do about them? She couldn't go back there, not for a few days, because that would be the immediate place they would search for her!

Or L knew that she would think that, and decided to wait until later to go there, when he thinks she'll show up...

or maybe he thought about that, too?

Ruri groaned, wadding her money up into a neat stack and putting it in her front pocket. It was so much easier for people to pickpocket something from the back, but she'd notice if they were trying to steal from the front of her. Then she slung her backpack over her shoulder, and made up her mind.

She would go now, back to the place she had grown to call home, leave a note for them- she didn't quite know what she would say, she was still piecing that part together- then leave. The note should be enough to let them know she hadn't done anything, who knows what L would make the police tell them? They trusted her, so if she left a note telling them she couldn't come back for a while, they wouldn't sell her out.. would they?

Ruri believed they wouldn't. With this in mind, she brought the hood of her jacket all the way up, shielding her eyes and casting her face in shadows. It was dark enough already, she didn't doubt they would never find her with her face hidden so well.

* * *

Ruri snuck in through the back gate, careful not to step too close to the back porch. She knew very well of the motion sensors they had in their back yard. Fortunately, they didn't have them to the sides of the house.

Ruri glanced up at her bedroom window. It was left open, just a crack, as she had left it. She began climbing up the wall, using the tree nearby to catch herself should she fall, before finally reaching her window. She pushed it up slowly, looking around her dark room carefully. There could be a trap, or even a camera anywhere, so she was careful not to alert anyone of her presence.

Her mother should still think she was out at the Yagami's house, unless Soichiro had immediately gone over to her home to tell them of the news. No, Ruri doubted that that's what happened. She knew that L would have made her his first priority, so he would have warned Soichiro the second she jumped out the window. That was why the car that had been following her so had caught up to her so quickly, it had to be him. Good. So she didn't have to explain anything to them if she got caught.

Ruri jumped onto her bed from the window perch, wobbling as she bounced on the mattress and almost fell over. Then she slid off the bed, walking over to her desk in the far corner, looking around the room carefully. There was still the off chance there could be a camera in here somewhere.

When she found none, she made her way to her desk.

And then she realized- her notes.

She had forgotten about them earlier, but now she remembered she couldn't let anybody get to them. She was glad she decided to come back to the house, she had no doubt she would have left them there if it weren't for this. She stacked the small stack of papers together neatly, then bound them together with a staple. She didn't want them falling apart.

Afterward, she stuffed it into her bag, which was still placed securely at her side, and brought out a red marker, placed down a blank sheet of paper, then placed the marker's tip over the paper.

Then paused.

What would she write to them? 'Hey guys, sorry but I kind of pissed off a world renowned detective and now I'm being chased by the police, but I totally didn't do anything' ?

Then, Ruri gasped quietly as three knocks resounded throughout the house, coming from the front door. Ruri shut her eyes closed, praying it wasn't who she thought it was. The door opened, and Suzume answered, " _Yes_?"

" _My name is Hirokau Ukita, I'm with the NPA..._ "

Ruri cursed quietly. She looked down at the paper below her fingers quietly, thinking a mile a minute. Then she began writing.

* * *

"I'm sorry," a man spoke into his sleek black phone, glancing around him wildly, for any sign of the woman he had been chasing. "I lost her. She's too quick."

" _Too quick for a car?_ " The voice behind the phone drawled on in a monotone voice, the slight edge of interest going unnoticed by the man he was speaking to.

"Yes," the man answered, dejected, before sighing. "She leaped over fences and ran through yards, I couldn't follow her through those. I apologize, but she's gone."

The voice on the other end of the phone didn't speak. For a moment, he thought, carefully. Then, he hummed as he spoke into the phone, " _No need to apologize, Mr. Yagami. There was a chance she knew where she was going and what she was doing, she seemed to have thought this through_."

Soichiro Yagami sighed, then nodded, though he knew his counterpart couldn't see it.

"She's quite the athletic one, isn't she," Soichiro stated as he got back into his car. He couldn't believe the girl had been able to escape him- so _easily_ , too!

The voice on the other end hummed thoughtfully, before agreeing. " _Yes. And quite intelligent, too, it would seem. She thought all of this through carefully. We'll have to try harder to catch her_."

Soichiro opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off before he could speak.

" _Not to mention how she had lived right next to you for months, but you never noticed anything off about her?_ "

"No," Soichiro answered, looking down at his lap, almost ashamed at how he let this happen. The girl had, indeed, been living right next to him and his family for quite a while, yet he never thought there was anything wrong with her. She had been so kind and so sweet, he couldn't understand how she had become the way she was now.

The voice on the phone thought carefully, theories and hypothesis on where she could have gone swimming through his head at a rapid pace- he almost couldn't keep up with his own thoughts. Then, he spoke quickly and quietly, voice slightly muffled through the speakers of the phone.

" _Make your way back to her residence. Ukita should be there, now, questioning the family. I need you to go over her room carefully. Catalog any evidence that may help us find her, and tell me if you spot anything_..." he paused, thinking of how to phrase it, " _interesting_."

"Alright," Soichiro agreed.

" _Report back to me once finished_." Then the voice hung up without Soichiro being able to get a word out beforehand. Soichiro sighed, placing his phone into his back pocket.

How could he not notice a criminal right under his nose?

He decided not to dwell on it for too long. Instead, he started up his car and began driving back to her family's home in silence. He could only wonder whether they knew about her the whole time or not. Soichiro dreaded having to see their expressions when reaching their home, no doubt Ukita had told them she was under suspicion of being a mass murdering criminal, and was now on the run. He knew that if he had been told that about his daughter, Sayu, he would have broken down.

So when he got there, parking his car on the side of the road careful not to disturb the driving path for other cars to get by, he was quite surprised to see Ukita standing outside on the porch, one hand on his face and the other on his hip as the mother, Fujita Suzume he believed her name was, shouted at him from the front door.

"Ukita," Soichiro shouted above the woman. The woman stopped and looked at him in confusion and suspicion. Tears were dried on her face as she stopped trying to shoo Ukita away. Ukita turned and looked to him, relief all over his face and body language as he walked over to the man.

"Oh thank God, Chief. The woman won't let me inside any more."

"Any more?" He asked, perplexed. "What happened to make you get kicked out?" Ukita sighed.

"Well, let's see... When I first explained to her that her daughter was wanted under suspicion of being Kira, she broke down and began crying. The husband consoled her, and the boy started saying how she was innocence, how she couldn't have done anything wrong and she was probably being framed, or something or another."

Soichiro looked to the porch and, sure enough, there stood a teenage boy, looking down at him, expression angry and guarded.

"And then they eventually let me inside her room, and the first thing I noticed was how her desk was empty and things were thrown about the room. Then, as soon as I asked her about the note, she began pushing me out the door and saying how her daughter was innocent, and it wasn't her fault about whatever had happened," Ukita ran a single hand down the side of his face, looking worn out and aggrivated about the night. The Soichiro paused, turning to look at his companion.

"The note? What note?"

Ukita paused, then raised his hand, showing his boss the single piece of paper he had in his hands, folded neatly and a single word written on the top in red marker.

" _Sorry_ "

Soichiro took the paper and opened it, beginning to read what was written down in a neat and orderly handwriting that looked all too familiar to the man. Ruri's handwriting.

_"Hey, I only have 3 minutes tops, so I'll make this quick._

_Mom, Dad, Aki- whatever they tell you, don't believe them. I didn't do anything wrong, I want you to know this._

_I can't tell you exactly what I'm doing or where I've gone, but please, trust me. Trust your daughter, your sister, to do what I need to do._

_But don't trust them. They'll try to tell you I'm a killer, a criminal, but I'm not. You know me better than anyone else in the world does, so use that knowledge to judge me yourselves. If you truly think I'm capable of doing such a thing, then go ahead, tell them all the places you think I might be hiding. If you believe me, if you trust me, then don't tell them anything. I'll be back as soon as I can, and I'll explain everything there._

_I'm innocent._

_-Ruri."_

Soichiro had to take a moment to think clearly. He knew Ruri, he thought he did, and he had thought the same things- that she wasn't capable of doing such a thing, that there's no way she was Kira, that perhaps L was wrong-

But L was never wrong.

All the evidence points to her.

Even if she isn't Kira, he knows she isn't all that innocent as he had originally believed. Killer or not, what was she doing with Raye Penber? How did she even know he was working on the Kira taskforce? He didn't tell her any of that. How could she have gotten to Naomi, and, from what Naomi had said about her, she knows a lot of information about the case, including things that not even Soichiro had known.

So as much as he didn't want to believe it, he wouldn't let his personal feelings get in the way of his job.

He would bring Ruri to L.

* * *

Ruri made her way across the room she found herself in, glancing around her as she walked casually. She knew that acting suspicious, such as placing her hands in her pocket and looking around wildly, would only get her more attention, so she acted casual, as if she had nothing to fear.

Although Ruri couldn't help but smile at where she was.

She had let herself walk around, without really knowing where she was going. In retrospect, she should have been more careful. She could have run into somebody who recognized her, or even into the police themselves. And yet she found herself glad she let herself do this as she looked around the small room.

The small shop was warmer than she remembered, from the last time she was here.

She stood in the center of the shop, seeming as if she was looking for something to buy. She glanced down at the rack as she passed it, noting the empty space in which two walkie talkies had used to sit in their pristine white packages. And now one of those walkie talkies were hooked to her belt securely, where she could grab at it any time she needed.

Ruri walked to the front of the store, to the clerk, and placed down a pack of gum and a single, watermelon flavored lollipop. She paid for them, then sat back in the same seat she had sat with Naomi a few days ago.

Speaking of Naomi...

" _Ruri?_ "

Ruri grinned as she heard Naomi's voice through the walkie talkie's speakers. It was slightly faded and filled with static, but she could hear her clearly.

" _Ruri, are you there?_ "

Ruri opened the wrapper to her lollipop, giving it a single lick before she picked up her own communication device.

"Sorry, I don't know any 'Ruri'. My name is Agent Synclair."

The other line was quiet for a moment, before Naomi responded.

" _Synclair, where are you at?_ "

Ruri paused as she thought. She definitely heard a voice in the background, or some kind of a noise, but she couldn't tell exactly what it was. She hummed thoughtfully. She thought that perhaps L was in the room, with Naomi. If not, then at least listening in.

"Is L with you?"

The line went silent. No static, no voices, and no background noises. Ruri smiled as she crunched down on her lollipop to get to the center. She was never all that patient, she knew this very well. And yet all of her patience seemed to have been well worth it in the end, if the next sentence from Naomi was anything to go by.

" _Yes, L is with me. He's listening now._ "

"Hi, L," Ruri responded.

" _Hello, Synclair._ "

Ruri almost paused at the sound of his voice. She had never heard it before, only the synthetic voice from when he addressed the public, or the police force in the beginning of the show. He used his actual voice with her. She was giddy with excitement, and, she'll admit, a big of fangirling. She was also rather excited that he referred to her as her alias, Synclair. She had half expected him to use her actual name.

" _Might I ask how you knew I was here, and how you had steered Ms. Naomi to me in the first place?_ " He didn't bother with pleasantries. Ruri almost laughed with excitement.

"Common sense," Ruri explained quickly. She was having an actual conversation, with _the_ L. She tapped her boot against the tiled ground quietly as she explained better. "Naomi worked with you in the past, so it's safe to say she would want to do it again some time in the future, right? I mean, with the death of her beloved, she has nothing left to lose by working on catching Kira. It's safe to assume she'd want to work with you, the greatest detective of the century, to catch him. Anger and grief are a dangerous mix."

It was quiet, once more. Ruri got up, threw the stick of the lollipop into the trash, then stood at the back of the store. Her hood was up once more, and she brushed some hair from her face as she waited for his response.

" _How did you know she worked with me in the past?_ " Ruri found herself sighing inwardly. She expected him to ask her harder questions, something to try and get her to slip up and say something about herself that would reveal her, or where she was currently hiding out.

"I know a lot of things about you, L."

" _What kinds of things?_ " She was beginning to get disappointed in the questions he was asking.

"Wammy's," came her single worded response.

It was only a single word, and yet she knew she had struck a chord when L didn't respond immediately.

In fact, L didn't respond at all. After nearly five minutes of silence- Ruri began to get worried her walkie had run out of battery power- Naomi asked,

" _Ruri, where are you hiding? Please, come out. We just want to ask you a few questions._ "

"Synclair," Ruri corrected, a slight bite in her tone. She was sorely disappointed in L. She'd been waiting all this time to talk to him, and not only did he ask the wrong questions, but he had completely shut her out after mentioning his past? And then Ruri was also annoyed by the fact that Naomi had decided to use the tactic she was using now- trying to make her feel safe so she would reveal herself to them. She wasn't a child. And she was disappointed in the both of them.

" _Synclair-_ "

"I want to talk to L."

The line was silent for just a moment, before Naomi tried again. " _Synclair, please."_ Naomi said something else, but Ruri didn't quite catch it. She knew Naomi was talking to someone else, perhaps L? Ruri really did want to talk to him again. To her amusement, L did speak again, but only to demand something of her.

" _Tell me where you are, Synclair._ "

"Why should I?"

" _You are under suspicion of being a mass murdering criminal known as Kira. Even if, by slight chance, you aren't him, you are still evading the police, and, coincidentally, evading arrest. That in itself is a crime alone. Turn yourself in now, and I will see what I can do about lowering your sentence._ "

Now that was the L Ruri wanted to speak to. The L who took charge and knew what to say to make his enemy shake in fear. Unfortunately for him, though, Ruri wasn't shaking. Not in fear, anyway. It was rather cold out, still.

"Hm. I'll tell you what. I'll give you a hint."

L didn't say anything, most likely waiting for the hint. Ruri grinned.

"Altee Law Kiki," came the simple, but not-so-simple hint. Ruri explained nothing, and she sat patiently as L didn't respond.

Oh well. It was time to leave, L would soon solve her little riddle, and be here within seconds. She had better leave before he does.

And yet, as she neared the front of the store, she couldn't help but get an idea.

"Hey," She spoke in fluent Japanese toward the man behind the counter. He looked up from his game to look at the young girl. She gave him a charming smile, and he straightened his posture, most likely trying to impress her. He looked to be around the age of 30, or in his early 40s. And, looking into the mirror to the side of him, Ruri realized that she did look almost 18- she wondered when she had gotten taller-, so it was natural he would try to get a pretty, young girl's attention. At least, she liked to think she was pretty.

"Yes?" He spoke in Japanese, looking into her ruby orbs. She was surprised he didn't flinch away, like most. Though, looking him over, his greasy black hair flat against his head and his chubby body, she was sure he probably didn't get much attention.

Ruri leaned against the counter as she spoke in a low voice.

"Do you think you could do a girl a favor and, uh," she dug around in he back pocket as the man leaned forward to hear her better. She took out a small paper and began writing on it. Afterwards, she handed the man the paper over the counter. "Give this to someone if they come through here?"

The man looked down at the paper, confused, but accepted it anyway. "To who?"

"Ah, a young woman. She has long, straight black hair, wears leather, and will most likely be looking for me. Give her this slip of paper if she comes by, alright?" Ruri gave the man her most charming smile, and combined with a small flutter of her lashes, he agreed immediately.

Ruri smiled as she left the store. She did feel bad about manipulating someone, especially someone she had no intention of being with in the future, but it was all for the best. She wanted to help L and keep Light safe, she did, but she wanted to stay back, in the shadows, as she did it.

Besides, Ruri mused as she walked down the sidewalk to her next destination, there's no harm in having a bit of fun.

* * *

Naomi remained silent as she thought.

What had she meant? What did those words mean? She said she would give them a hint, but had basically spoken in another language afterward. Naomi had written down the three odd words the moment they were spoken, and was currently thinking it over. She looked to her left, and saw her companion and basically boss looking down at the sheet with the three words on it in black ink. His thumb was to his bottom lip as he concentrated hard, thinking about what it might mean.

He mumbled under his breath as his eyes shifted back and forth between the three words. His mind was running faster than he could keep up with, and he tossed theory and theory of what it might mean to himself, back and forth.

He stopped, raised his head slightly, and mumbled something under his breath. He lowered his thumb to rest his hand on his knee.

"What?" Naomi asked, not catching what he had said. Obviously, by the way he was acting now, he had figure it out.

"Anagram. It's an anagram."

Oh. That made a lot more sense, and Naomi found herself nodding at him quietly, then furrowed her brows once more. "But what does it mean? What was the clue?"

"I can't quite figure that out. I don't understand what it means," he mumbled it to himself.

"What? L, speak up, what does the anagram mean?" Naomi took a step closer to him, just about ready to shake him from his own thoughts. He turned, his emotionless black orbs staring up into her own eyes.

"She said, 'Walkie Talkie'."

Naomi paused in her step, her eyes widening. L, being the sharp detective that he is, caught this, and turned in his chair. "What is it? You know what this means?"

Naomi nodded her head, then began putting on her leather jacket.

"I know where she is."

* * *

**_((I hope you like it! For those of you who don't know what an anagram is-_ **

**_it's when you take a sentence or a word or a phrase, and jumble the letters so it says something else. Therefore,_ **

**_"Walkie Talkie" becomes "Altee Law Kiki"._ **

**_Also, this is the longest chapter in the story, with over 4,500 words. Hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! I love writing for L, and I can't wait to bring them together.))_ **


	11. Chapter 11

**_((I actually surprised myself with how fast this one came out. I suppose I'm more excited about it than I originally thought! Woo. I have no reviews to respond to this time, sad face, so make sure to review lots after this chapter! Both friendly and non friendly criticism is welcome. If you think there's something wrong with my writing, let me know, so I can better it! Especially if you think someone is out of character, considering this is my first ever Death Note fanfiction, and I'd like to know how well I'm doing._ **

**_Well, enjoy this chapter!))_ **

It took Naomi a full four minutes to get to the small store from the hotel she had been staying at with L. L had managed to find her the quickest route, with the least amount of traffic to get to her destination. Not to mention she had police sirens on, so it was much quicker than the drive would have been otherwise.

The moment the car had been parked, she jumped out of the passenger's side, not even waiting for the other police officer of whom she didn't recall the name of at the moment, as she raced into the store.

Nothing.

There were a few people scattered about the small store, talking with each other quietly. Some of them paused in their conversations to look at the strange woman out of breath, before continuing with their own business. Naomi raced to the front of the store quickly, noting the man behind the counter seemed shocked, almost surprised to see her there.

"A woman was here-"

"Young, short hair, red eyes?" He asked, interrupting her. His round eyes were still wide with shock. He hadn't believed the woman would really appear. And just as the younger girl had pointed out, the woman before him had long, straight black hair, and wore leather.

And she happened to be looking for the younger woman. "Yes," Naomi responded, slightly taken aback by his description and cutting her off. "How did you know?"

"She-she told me you would be looking for her..."

Naomi cursed under her breath. Ruri had known she would find her, and had left a while ago. Now she didn't know where she was. That was, she didn't, until the man behind the counter spoke up again.

"She, uh- she left this paper for you," he held out a shaking hand. He probably thought none of this was worth talking to a pretty girl for a few seconds.

"Thank you," Naomi breathed quietly as she grabbed the paper, then turned and began walking out the store. She took a quick look around the streets to her left, then right, then got back into the car where her partner waited.

"So?" The man asked.

"She wasn't there, she knew we were coming."

"Damn it."

"She left this note, though," Naomi unfolded the neatly creased paper, her dark eyes scanning over the familiarly neat handwriting quickly. Naomi had been jealous of how beautiful the young girl's handwriting was, but she pushed this thought aside as she read the note. Or, rather, she read the two things written down on the note.

"..What the hell?" Naomi gasped, confused beyond belief.

"What? What does it say?"

Naomi lifted her head, looking at the curious man beside her.

"That's just it, all it says is 'e4'. What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

The man sat back in his seat, puzzled, as Naomi's mind raced to find the meaning behind it. It had to be something familiar to her, wouldn't it? Ruri was a smart girl, Naomi was certain of this, but she was clever enough to make it something simple, something so painfully obvious that Naomi would feel stupid for not getting it sooner. Naomi just had no idea what it was meant to mean.

Unless...

"Mastui, please drive us back to the headquarters," Naomi stated simply, brows furrowing as she thought.

"What? Why?" He asked, but started the car nonetheless. He'd learned to do as he was told, but he was still curious enough to ask.

"I think this puzzle might not be for us." Matsuda glanced at Naomi strangely. "...I think it might be for L."

* * *

Ruri glanced at every car that passed by, her paranoia as a young girl, alone and unattended on the streets late at night, coming out in full as she glanced around her cautiously. Having L on her tail was simple enough, she didn't fear that part, but there was always the fact that she hardly knew how to protect herself.

Of course, while training herself to become a better runner a few months ago, she had also begun taking Tae-Kwon-Do, but she doubted a few fancy kicks would scare away any man who tried to force himself on her.

Shuddering at the thought, Ruri quickly made her way into a brightly lit store, hoping the cover from the cold would keep her dark thoughts at bay.

She didn't particularly know how long it would take them to figure out her newest puzzle, but she didn't want to wait around and do nothing as they thought it over. So she began thinking of her next move.

She could go to Light. Surely he wouldn't think of her a criminal, and, either way, he wouldn't kill her. If not for the fact that she was still certain he loved her, then for the fact that she's immune to it.

Or she thought she was. Sure, Ryuk had told her as much, but really, how trustworthy could he be? He didn't even know all the rules to his own notebook. Ruri had to be careful, even if she did believe that she was immune to the Death Note's powers, she had to be cautious.

Ruri weighed out the pros and cons of going to Light for help.

Con- He might see her as a criminal. There was always the small chance that he wouldn't trust her, no matter how unlikely that scenario is to come up.

Pro- he would definitely try to help her, perhaps persuade his father into thinking she's innocent, too.

Con- he might kill her.

Pro- he might not?

Either way, she would have someone to trust, if she could trust him, and someone who would help her escape the police altogether. He was smart, and he was better with police work than Ruri was. She was hardly familiar with how they worked, especially how they looked for people. She didn't know their patterns, their work ethics- Light did.

She made up her mind then.

* * *

"Well?" Matsuda asked suddenly, breaking the silence that had been too uncomfortable for him to do nothing. He couldn't wait for them to think all day, he wanted an answer now. He realized perfectly well how unreasonable and impatient he was being, but he didn't know this young girl, and he was curious on why they were chasing after her.

L hadn't bothered to explain everything to him- in fact, he didn't explain anything to anybody, save for Naomi, but most of the task force members had a feeling she probably knew who the girl was before L brought the topic up.

L said nothing from his perch atop his swivel chair, staring blankly down at the paper in front of him. His thumb nail was pressed against his lower lip so hard it became white. He didn't blink, but everyone in the room could see the calculating mind working behind his blank expression.

"Well," Naomi spoke up from her seat on the chair next to him, getting up and stretching after having been sitting there for almost ten minutes straight. She'd gotten back to the task force with Matsuda a mere 15 minutes ago, and she had looked over the paper herself as she rode up in the elevator in silence. When nothing came to mind- her mind drew a sharp blank that she frowned at- she gave it to L.

She explained to him how she thought the puzzle was meant for him, and he agreed, saying something along the lines of, "she had seemed interested in me over the receiver," which none of them understood. What receiver? Yet he didn't explain anything to them, and they all sat with unasked questions on their mind.

"She knows who I am," L suddenly spoke up from his seat, not even taking his thump from his lip.

"Well, maybe she heard about you from somewhere? I mean, you are the world's best detective, after all," Matsuda offered, giving an awkward chuckle at the end, anything to clear the obvious tension in the air.

"No. She does not know L, the detective," he explained, "She knows _me._ She knows _my past_ , my _history_." Naomi could have sworn she saw Watari visibly flinch from his position in the back of the room.

Naomi nodded once, having known a bit of his past from the time she spent with him on the LA BB murder case.

"If she knows that about you, about your past, could she be someone from back then..?" Naomi asked, barely a whisper as she spoke her thoughts. Now Naomi was certain she had seen Watari move in the back, and she could vaguely understand the old man's pain. These people, Watari thought of them all as his own children. If Naomi had seen her children killing each other off, she would have broken down long ago. However, she had no children, and wouldn't have any for a long time to go.

The thought that another person from his home, one of those he considered to be his _children_ , was going around the way she was now- if must have torn him up inside to even consider that option.

"How old is she?" L asked, ignoring her previous statement. Though Naomi couldn't help but notice the subtle iron-like grip of his knee.

"I- I don't know," Naomi stuttered, the question had caught her off guard. "I didn't run a background check. From looks alone, she looks to be around 17, or 18."

"Please conduct a background check for her."

"I'll do it," one of the police officers stated from the back, getting up to conduct his job.

"Thank you, Ukita," L muttered half heartedly as he continued staring at the paper. What could it mean? "e4" Was it a code? Did it mean something in another language? Perhaps roman numerals? No, there was no e4 in roman numerals.

And then..

"Watari," L spoke up, raising his head as he thought.

"Yes, Ryuzaki?" The elder man spoke from the back in a calm voice.

"Please go get me a chess board."

The odd request had undoubtedly confused the older man, but years of experience had taught him not to question L's motives. He had never been wrong before. So, with this in mind, Watari left the room. He returned moments later, placing the board on the coffee table in the center of the room.

L got up, grabbing the paper on his way, and made his way over to the couches. Matsuda stood up for L to sit in his seat, and L sat in his usual odd perch quietly. Then, he began placing the pieces on the board in each of their own respective spots.

"What did you need the chess board for, Ryuzaki?" Soichiro asked from next to the detective, watching his every move carefully.

"Her code, it's algebraic notation. E4 is the start of a chess game," he explained quietly, moving a single piece. "White advances the king's pawn to e4."

After moving the piece to its' new area, he brought his thumb nail to his lower lip once more, thinking hard. He had been doing this much more often after starting the Kira case, but it had doubled immediately the moment he had spotted the young girl on the camera, closing the FBI man's eyes gently, almost as carefully as Naomi would have, had she been there herself, then looked into the cameras.

' _I'm coming, L_ '

Coming for what?

Coming for _who_? Was she after him? Did she want him dead? Was she truly someone from his past, like Naomi assumed? Or perhaps someone else entirely, someone he had long forgotten? No, L remembered everyone in his life. He was certain he'd never met the young girl before. Where had she come from, then? And why, L looked down at the chess board quietly, was she after him?

She was definitely talented, that much was certain. She had been living right next to a police officer for months, and yet never gave anything away. Then she had escaped from him the night L had sent him to hold here. He really only intended to interrogate her, yet she made it difficult, and with every second she got further away from him, the more difficult it made his job.

And the funner it got.

L couldn't remember the last time he had had such a good challenge.

The Kira case wasn't solved, and L knew it to be a difficult one for sure, but this, this young woman- she was different. She was unique and intelligent and gifted, and she was _challenging_ him.

And he accepted.

And yet, as he looked down at the small white pawn on the checkered board, he couldn't help but be confused. What could this mean? Was she saying she was simply playing a game with him, and that she meant no harm? Or was she really initiating a game of chess with him? If so, he hadn't the slightest clue of how he was going to respond, or of how he was going to continue getting notes from her.

Then, Naomi suddenly straightened her back, eyes widening slightly. "Wait, what if it's not meant to be for the chess board?"

L looked up at quizzically, half because he was curious and half because he was upset at the chance of him being wrong on this.

"What else would it be, Maki?" He asked, using her alias name. She stood up, jogging out of the room, then returning with something in her hands. She began to unfold the large paper, and L began to notice what it was.

A map.

A map of Tokyo, to be more specific.

"A map?" Matsuda spoke up next to Naomi, having gone over to help her set the large map up onto the wall, where she pinned it there.

And then L noticed what she had meant.

Aizawa, finally speaking up, seemed to have noticed, too, as he got up and spoke, astonished, "It looks just like a chess board!"

Yes, L mused, it did look quite like a chess board. The streets were even and mapped out in a way that made each corner look like a square, making the map as a whole, look entirely like a checkered chess board.

"If this is our board," L stood up, walking over to the pinned map casually, dark eyes wide and roaming the map quickly. "Then e4 would be," his finger raised, he began searching over the map, looking for the correct location.

"Here."

His finger barely hovered over the smooth paper, not even touching the map, as he looked down at the area he pointed to. The others in the room stood behind him, glancing at where he was pointing.

"But I don't get it," someone pointed out. L didn't really care who it was that spoke next. "There's nothing there, right?" He assumed it was Matsuda. Then, L's breath hitched in his throat.

His eyes widened, and everyone stared in slight concern, but mostly curiosity.

Noticing the silence, Watari had walked forward as well, before stopping just short of reaching his charge. He gasped quietly.

"What- what's over there?" Matsuda finally broke the shocked silence, looking back and forth between L's expression of confusion and worry to Watari's expression of fear and concern.

The moment the question was out of Matsuda's mouth, L turned and practically ran to his computer, crouching down in his chair quietly, almost solemnly, as he opened something up on his device.

Watari was the one to explain, as L began typing away furiously at his computer.

"It's a secret location. L had been working on creating a new building there, where the task force could work without interruption... but the location was kept from everybody, it wasn't even written down anywhere in our notes, I don't understand..." his sentence trailed off, he continued staring at the map, before going to L's side. The two began talking at once.

And as everyone in the room busied themselves with something or another, L and Watari at his computer, Naomi looking at the map as she grabbed a marker, the rest of the task force members getting ready to head home, Matsuda simply stared at the single white chess piece on the table, and uttered a single word.

"Wow..."

* * *

Ruri held in a snort as she began climbing up the side of the Yagami household, up to Light's room. She could only imagine what his expression would be once he sees her in his window pane, way past midnight.

In fact, she wasn't entirely sure he would still be awake at the moment.

And yet, as she knocked quietly on his window, she couldn't help the sigh of relief when the lights turned on a moment later.

Light opened his window, looking to each side before finally looking down at Ruri, who waved sheepishly.

"Hey, Light."

He stared, shocked, for a full minute. The both of them could hear Ryuk laughing in the background, something about how the whole situation seemed like a comedy to him, but Light didn't know Ruri could hear him, so he simply chose to ignore it.

Then, he grabbed Ruri by the arm and began pulling her up, into his room. Ruri didn't complain as he shut the window behind her, though she couldn't help but look away as he leaned over her to reach the latch of the window.

He locked the window shut.

"Ruri," he breathed, taking only a half step away from the young girl. She held her breath as she waited for him to speak. She had almost forgotten how flustered she could get in his presence alone. "What the hell are you doing here? Do you know you're being hunted down as a criminal? On suspect of being _Kira_?" He spoke, lecturing her as he gave her a silent, but terrifying-all-the-same glare.

She nearly laughed at how he had spoken the word, Kira, like it was venom. Damn, he really was a good actor. But no, she held her laugh in, and looked down at the floor silently. A moment would go by in utter quiet, before Light sighed, then draped his arms across the young girl's body, hugging her close.

"I'm glad you're all right."

"Light," Ruri spoke up. He simply hummed, not letting go of the smaller girl. She found that she didn't mind this.

"I need your help."

* * *

**_((Make sure to review lots! It helps me write faster!))_ **


	12. Chapter 12

_**((Thank you all for the reviews! Unfortunately, as I post this I am in a bit of a rush(I'm going out with family to celebrate my lil sisters birthday heyy!), so I won't be replying to any reviews. I will get to any questions you have in the next chapter's A/N. Leave lots of reviews, they help me type!))** _

It was past midnight, now January 9th.

Ruri sat silently atop Light's bed. She had been in Light's room several times over the past few months, but she'd never been in the room while every exit she knew of- the window and the door- was shut and locked. Her eyes darted around the room nervously, as Light stood in the center of the room quietly, letting her words sink in.

Ruri had gotten here about 15 minutes ago, and was sat down the moment she told Light she had needed his help. She explained everything- well, she explained what she could without letting him know she knew who L was. She made up a lot of the store, or changed it slightly.

Basically, she just told him she overheard his father on the phone, saying how he was going to arrest Ruri. That was a lie.

She told him how she had run away in fear of being arrested for no reason, and was now being hunted down as a criminal. That was a half lie.

Then she told him about how she was scared, and, for emphasis, let a single tear fall to the ground.

Light had brushed the tear away, hugged her close, and told her he believed she was innocent.

Ryuk barely held down his laughter while watching the whole scene, and, while behind hugged by Light, Ruri sent the Shinigami a glare which shut him up rather quickly. If Light was curious on the sudden silence, he didn't let it show.

So now she was sitting on his bed, her legs criss crossed, and then she suddenly jumped up, worried.

"Oh fuck," she cursed under her breath, eyes wide. Light straightened his back, looking at her in worry.

Ruri took a deep breath, then shook her head at Light. "Sorry, I just hit a bruise, was all," she lied. She gingerly held her upper thigh, where a small bruise lay, but it did not hurt.

Light perked his head up, anyway. "Do you need any medicine?"

"No, I'm fine, I just have to let it heal, is all." Ruri looked down at the bedding, the room going silent once more as Light thought about what to say.

Cameras.

Ruri had completely forgotten there were _cameras_ in the Yagami's house, _including_ Light's bedroom. Did Light know about the cameras yet? Was L watching right now? Was he sending someone to pick her up? Was the house already surrounded? Ruri began hyperventilating. What if L was already here? What if he already talked to Light? What if Light was lying to her and tricking her. It wouldn't surprise her, everyone she knew lied to her, he was the same, wasn't he? Would he kill her after all? What if-

"Ruri!"

Ruri jumped in her seat on his bed, and she forced herself to look into Light's eyes, which was right in front of her. When had he gotten so close?

"What's the matter?" He asked, his voice softer, more gentle, as he spoke. His arms were on her shoulders, squeezing re-assuredly. She liked the warmth. Ruri opened her mouth to speak, but she didn't know what to say. She didn't even know what the matter was.

"I- I don't know..." Her voice was barely above a whisper, shaky and trembling. She was still hyperventilating. Ruri didn't know what was going on.

But Light did.

His eyes softened, and he brought her closer, his forehead leaning against hers as he spoke softly.

"Ruri... you're having a panic attack. I need you to calm down, alright?" He whispered. He looked into Ruri's wide eyes. Light let go of Ruri's shoulder and grasped onto her hands gently, squeezing to calm her down. "Breath with me, Ruri."

Ruri did as told, breathing in and out as Light did. After a minute of breathing calmly, Light smiled. He pulled away, only slightly, but did not let go of her hands.

"Better?"

Ruri looked down, and nodded slowly.

A panic attack? Ruri has never had a panic attack before, so why now?

"Thank you," Ruri mumbled quietly, still looking down at their intertwined hands.

"It's fine."

He let go.

The room went silent again as Light walked to the other side of the room, to his desk, and sat in the seat with a quiet sigh. Nobody spoke. Ruri was even surprised as Ryuk didn't say anything, not even a chuckle. She contemplated looking up, but knew that if she looked, Light would notice.

Also Ruri could only freeze in her spot as the door downstairs opened.

Light seemed to have heard it as well, as he got up and took a few steps closer to his door, but paused as he looked down at Ruri, who had looked up at his door in surprise. They locked eyes.

"Come here," Light whispered, holding up one hand. Ruri got up, walking over to him. He placed his hand on her shoulder, pushing her to the wall, behind his door. "Stay quiet, alright?" Ruri nodded once.

As soon as he finished the sentence, a knock resounded on Light's bedroom door. Light looked to the door, grabbed the door knob, then glanced at Ruri. She nodded. Light opened the door.

As soon as the door opened, Light smiled good naturally, a fond look of admiration on his face. When the light from the lamps outside flooded into the bedroom, Ruri took a step away from the wall and hid behind the door fully, afraid that whoever was there might have looked into the area between the wall and the door and see her there.

"Light," Soichiro's voice came. Ruri inwardly groaned, staying quiet on the outside. "I'm afraid I have some bad news about your friend, Ruri Shinju."

Light looked perplexed, almost shocked. Ruri really had to give his acting some credit, even _she_ might have fallen for that. Might have.

"What about her, Dad?"

Soichiro sighed, and, judging by the change of light in the bedroom, Ruri assumed he had taken a step back from the door.

"Please come with me, we need to talk about it downstairs."

Light's eyes glanced at Ruri, but smiled at his father and agreed, leaving the room. He shut the door behind him, washing the room with darkness once more.

Ryuk finally laughed.

" **Well, isn't this _interesting_?** "

"Shut up," Ruri whispered, staying in her spot behind the door. She leaned against the wall, looking to the floor as she thought.

Soichiro could have made Light leave the room because he knew she was in there. What would she do?

Ruri bit her lip, stifling the emotions of anger inside her. She let herself forget about the cameras, and she could get caught because of it. Even if L wasn't watching, by some miracle, he would watch the tapes at another time and know that Light had helped me. And if Soichiro is watching with L, he'd be disappointed and angry at his son for keeping a criminal hidden from him. It was a felony to purposefully hide a criminal, _knowing_ they were a criminal. Light could go to jail for this.

" **Someone's in a bad mood** ," Ryuk huffed. He sat on the bed lazily.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Ruri mumbled, glancing at the other worldly creature sprawled across the sheets.

Ryuk grinned, " **What are you going to do now, girl?** "

Ruri rolled her eyes. It was clear he wasn't going to shut up any time soon. "My name is Ruri."

" **You don't have a name**."

"My _name_ is _Ruri,_ " Ruri hissed, glaring daggers at the creature. The thought of getting Light in trouble for helping her had made her mood foul, plus the fact that she would indefinitely get caught by L soon because of her slip up with the cameras.

Light sure has been gone for a long time.

Ruri jumped up from the wall, marching over to Ryuk. He sat up quickly, probably thinking she was going to hit him or something, but she jumped up on the bed and crawled over to the window quietly.

" **What are you doing?** " Ryuk deadpanned, thoroughly confused at her actions.

"I have to leave."

" **Why?** "

"Cameras," came her single response. Yes, she knew that if L looked over this and saw her talking out loud he would be confused, but she didn't care about this. She was already suspicious to him, she had no reason not to talk to Ryuk. Not on camera, at least. If he ever asked her about it, she could simply say she was wearing an ear piece. Her ears were covered by her short, wavy black hair, so it wouldn't be too hard to play off.

" **Ohh. Light's going to get in trouble for helping you** ," the thought was obviously hilarious, as Ryuk laughed at the idea of Light getting thrown in jail.

"If he gets caught, you'd have nothing to do," Ruri deadpanned as she unlocked the window.

Ryuk stopped laughing.

Ruri opened the window wide, put one foot out the window, and paused. She turned, looking right into Ryuk's olive-like eyes.

"Bye."

" **See ya** ," he waved a clawed finger at her, grinning.

Ruri dropped out the window, grunting when her feet made contact with the leaf-covered ground. The fall wasn't that far, but the sudden stop jarred her bones. She stood for a moment, not moving to let her feet take a moment to feel better, then started off in a random direction in a sprint.

Now, she didn't know what to do.

* * *

Two hours later, Ruri had begun to get tired. It was already dark out when she had left Soichiro confused by jumping out his kitchen window, and it had been about four hours total since then.

She found herself in a hotel. She didn't know what the hotel was called, she simply read the word "hotel" on the outside, in bright, blinking neon lights. She entered immediately.

"Good afternoon," the girl behind the desk smiled at Ruri. She was beautiful, for sure. Her long black hair sat in waves down her back and over her shoulder, resting atop her breasts. Her dark red blouse sat against her freckled shoulders beautifully, ending right above her wrists, which sat on the table before her. Her light blue eyes sparkled as Ruri smiled politely back at her, long lashes swaying in the light breeze from an open window to the side of them both. She couldn't be any older than in her late twenties.

Ruri felt jealous of how beautiful she was.

The woman began speaking again. "My name is Yo Seijun, how may I help you?" Her name, Yo Seijun, meant 'positively clear', Ruri knew. She had always loved to figure out what peoples' names meant, and hers was just as beautiful as she was.

"Ah," Ruri walked up to the desk, bringing down her hood. The girl's smile faltered slightly at the sight of her eyes, but she didn't look away. "My name is Tamiko Suki," she made up a name on the spot, "I'd like a single room, please."

The woman, Seijun, nodded and looked down at her computer. She typed something into the device, turned to the wall of keys behind her, grabbed one, and handed it to her.

"Your room is 201B. Is there anything else you'd like?"

Ruri counted out the money needed for staying the night, she had no plans of staying any longer than a few hours, while thinking.

"Yes, actually," Ruri placed the money down on the counter, in front of Seijun.

"Do you have a laptop I could use?"

* * *

The room sat silently, a heavy weight in the air. There were only two people currently in the dark room, but they could both feel it.

"Ryuzaki," one of the two voices spoke, "I can't find anything else."

The second voice, L, hummed in a half hearted response. He didn't move.

The first voice sighed, placing down the red marker she had been using to write, and walked over to the man crouched on a swivel chair. She placed her hand on the chair gently, leaning over to look at whatever he was staring at on the bright screen in front of him.

"Ryuzaki," she spoke again, quiet. "What are you looking at?"

He was silent for a moment, before responding in his usual monotone voice, "Results."

"Results? Results for what?"

"Aizawa ran a background check for Ruri Shinju."

The woman perked her head up, looking at him in surprise, before looking down at the screen once more. Then, her eyes widened and took half a step back in shock. "What- how is that possible?" She whispered.

"I don't know," L mused. His brows furrowed, and his lip was white from the pressure of his thumb. His hand clenched at his knee tightly. "Naomi, what all do you know about this girl?" He asked quietly, not blinking nor taking his eyes off the screen.

Naomi looked down at the screen with wide, dark eyes.

"Not as much as I thought I did, apparently," she responded, staring down at the bright red words on the otherwise blank screen.

 _No matches found_.

And as both people sat or stood in silence, a new weight in the air, one of surprise, the doors opened behind them. Naomi turned quickly, paranoia forcing her instincts on hyper drive. Watari entered the room with a tray of sweets, smiling at Naomi gently. She nodded as a greeting, and the older man began preparing a cup of tea for the detective sitting before him, placing a single plate of vanilla cake before him.

L stared at the screen for only a second longer before he picked up the intricately designed fork, taking a scoop of cake in the small utensil.

Before he could eat the forkful of icing and baked bread, he felt a vibration in his back pocket. He dropped the fork, cake forgotten as he took the device from his pocket.

He looked at the phone before him now, glancing at the caller I.D.

Unknown Number.

He flipped open the phone. Instead of a message displaying a caller, he read that he had a new text. His eyes widened in surprise, immediately connecting the dots. It had to be Ruri communicating with him, it had to be.

"Who is it, Ryuzaki?" Naomi asked, glancing down at the phone in his hands.

L chose to ignore her, clicking on the 'view' option. A text appeared before his eyes, and he read it quickly.

Naomi waited in patient silence as she saw L freeze in his spot, body suddenly tense and eyes wide. His breaths came out shallow and quick, and Naomi had to force herself not to rip the phone from his hands. Even Watari had been pulled in by the curiosity, placing the tea cup down on the table before the two of them, glancing at his charge and companion silently.

Finally, L spoke.

"We have to find her..."

"What did she say, Ryuzaki?"

"..I don't think it would matter if I told you, I doubt you would understand what it meant."

Naomi's eyes widened just slightly. "Well, tell me anyway!"

L turned in his seat, eyes glancing at the woman from behind his messy black hair. He opened his mouth, and spoke, relaying the message quietly,

"Limp Average Wally Lost Inflammable Elektra Tactlessly."

Naomi didn't speak, but she saw Watari stiffen at her side. He left the room quickly, not bothering to take the tray with him. Naomi's brows furrowed.

"You're right, I don't understand what that means."

L turned away from her, back to his phone. He began typing something. He looked both disappointed and relieved that she didn't know what it had meant. Yet he explained anyway.

"It's mnemonic code."

Naomi was well versed in what a mnemonic code was. As an ex-agent, she had used those all the time. In fact, the name, 'FBI' was a mnemonic code.

She mumbled the words under her breath, piecing the first letters together, then her eyes widened.

 _Lawliet_.

She knew his real name.

* * *

Ruri turned off the water in the bathroom, stopping it before it overflowed the tub.

Personally, Ruri felt that baths were useless. All they did was make you sit in your own filth, she felt no need for them, so she had always taken showers instead.

And yet, she couldn't help the sigh of bliss as she slipped into the hot water. It stung her cold skin for just a moment, before it felt numbingly nice against her pale skin. She sat in the tub fully, leaning down until the only parts of her body that peeked out of the water was her chin and up, as well as her knees. She closed her eyes, a small smile coming to her pink lips.

Electronics wasn't her strong suit, but it was easy the moment she had gotten used to it. The codes weren't difficult to translate, and typing them up into her own, unique codes was even easier, not to mention fun.

It was easier than she thought it would be to find L's phone number.

She had made the laptop that was borrowed from the woman downstairs, the beautiful girl, as untraceable as she could with what she had. Whether it was enough to stop the detective or not, she didn't know. She didn't worry, though. She was confident in her abilities.

She didn't want to scare the man, although she knew that that was probably what she did. He would be thinking she had to be someone from his past, _had_ to be, because there was no trace of his real name anywhere. No notes, not on the internet, no paper trail- nothing leading to his past. Not even in the orphanage was his name written anywhere. To be honest, she was actually quite surprised to find out she could see nothing of him on the internet- and then she remembered, _oh yeah, he's number one for a reason_.

She wasn't entirely sure what her next move would be, she was only thinking about this moment. Which, in hindsight, is probably a bad idea considering L is known to think twenty steps ahead.

Only a minute in the hot water, the laptop she had borrowed _binged_ , alerting her she had a new message. She looked over to the laptop which sat on the counter, barely just above her head. It was low enough for her to read the message, and she kept one hand out of the tub in case she needed to respond.

_:Synclair.:_

She snorted. It wasn't a question. He knew who he was talking to. She typed lazily with her right hand, twisting her body so she was laying on her side in the tub, resting on her elbow as she typed into the chat pod she had created for the two to speak privately.

"y _o (:_ "

_:I didn't know you were a hacker.:_

" _i_ _m not, im just that good haha_ " Ruri was sure her odd typing would gain his attention soon, but laying on her side and typing with only one hand just made it difficult for her to even bother typing with grammar and correct punctuation.

_:I suppose you're not going to tell me how you got my number?:_

_"correcto"_

_:Nor are you going to tell me where you are.:_

_"bingo"_

Ruri grinned, deciding to sit up in the tub. As much as she hated the sudden cold air on her chest and upper stomach, she dried her left hand with the towel folded neatly on the counter next to the laptop. She folded her legs in the water as she heard her laptop bing with another message.

_:Let's stop with the games, Synclair.:_

_"But games are half the fun, darling."_ Ruri had no doubt L would be suspicious of her sudden change in typing, but she simply smiles at the thought of his confusion. It was quite fun to tease the detective.

_:How long have you known my name?:_

_"Hmm,"_

_"A few years, perhaps?"_ Ruri thought back to when she first began watching Death Note. No, not the anime, she scolded herself. It would have to be when she began reading the manga. She never learned his name in the anime. Combined with the time she had spent here in this world, it had been a few years before she began reading it. About two, or three years.

_:Be honest,:_

_:Do you know who I am?:_

Ruri pursed her lips. He wanted to know if she was from his past, someone from Wammy's. Yet, the way he worded it...

_"Yes."_

Technically, she _did_ know him. It was his fault for wording it in a way that it could have a possible double meaning.

L did not respond immediately, and Ruri took this time to get out of the tub. She leaned over and drained the water, putting the plug on the counter until the water fully drained itself. As she waited for a reply, she grabbed the fluffy white towel, the hotel's name engraved on it- Seven Seas Hotel- and draped the cloth around her body. She dried herself off quickly before putting on her new clothes- she may or may not have stopped at a clothing store before getting here.

Her white shorts reached her bottom thighs, not too tight for comfort but tight enough that she enjoyed the way they accented her legs. All of her cuts had healed since arriving in this world, and now all that showed was the three scars that littered the bottom of her legs, one of them resting over her foot. The four other scars lay across her arms, one of them over her shoulder, but she covered them with a black cardigan that stopped above her elbows, unbuttoned at the top.

She didn't bother putting any shoes or socks on, laying the towel over her head to rest on both of her shoulders and catch any water that drip from her (now straight) black hair. She grabbed the laptop with both hands and left the bathroom, setting it on her bed as she went back in and grabbed a toothbrush. She heard her laptop go off with another message, and she smiled as she applied toothpaste to the pink toothbrush.

As she began brushing her teeth, she leaned down to glance at the message.

_:Who are you?:_

_"My name is Synclair."_

_:No, it isn't. Your name isn't Ruri Shinju either. Who are you?:_

Her eyes squinted with suspicion as she continued typing.

_"What makes you think my name was ever Ruri Shinju in the first place?"_

_:I'm certain you know who I work with.:_

_"Ah, Yagami. He sold me out, hm?"_

_:It's not 'selling you out' if you are a criminal.:_

_"I'm not a criminal, so I guess he_ did _sell me out. Backstabber."_ She added the last word as a joke, but wasn't certain whether he knew this or took it seriously. She jogged to the bathroom to spit out the minty tasting toothpaste, brushing quickly so she could get back to her conversation. She felt giddy, but not the same kind of giddy as before. Sure, she was still fangirling, but it was more of a realization dawning on her. She really was talking to _the_ L. Not only that, but he thought of her as a criminal. That part, she will admit, kind of hurt her, but she wouldn't have expected anything else from the detective.

_:How can I be sure? You ran from the police. You do understand you're wanted for being a suspect of a mass murderer, correct?:_

_"Kira, yes, I know."_

_"I'm not Kira, though."_

_:But I can't know this, not unless you come in.:_

_"Which I won't."_

_:Which you won't.:_

_"Unless, of course..."_ Ruri waited for a moment, almost as if to build suspicion. _"You give me a reason to want to come in."_

Then she went back to the bathroom, once again spitting the minty paste before swirling water around her mouth, then spitting that out as well. She washed her toothbrush and placed it against the counter, leaving the room and turning off the light. She jumps onto the bed, catching the laptop before it falls, before sitting criss crossed on the bed. She leans against the wall, reading the words atop the bright monitor.

_:What would it take to make you want to come in?:_

_"What do you have to offer?"_

_:Besides you not going to prison for the rest of your life?:  
_

_"Yes, besides that. (:"_

_:I'm afraid there's nothing I can give to you, not while following the law.:_

_"A shame. I'm tired and going to bed. I have another clue for you as to where I am."_

_:What is it?:_

_" 'I traveled the world and the _____ ____'. Figure that out, you'll find me in no time (: "_

L does not respond after that. Ruri smiles, closes the laptop, and settles herself underneath the covers. She hugs one of the pillows to her chest, breathing in the scent of laundry soap and her own coconut shampoo. She didn't know how long it'd take him to figure out the song lyrics, "I traveled the world and the Seven Seas", but she was used to sleeping for small amounts of time, so she doubted he'd get to her before she could leave.

She closed her eyes, and smiled.

* * *

**_((Leave a review!))_ **


	13. Chapter 13

**_((So, I finally have time to answer some questions and reviews!_ **

**_First of all- one Guest noticed something that I had changed. In the summary, it no longer says "L/OC/Light" and instead it says "OC x ?", this is because I didn't really want to give away who she was going to fall for. While it's already obvious to those who have already started reading it, I want it to be a mystery to newer readers (: It's still going to be a L/Light love triangle, don't worry._ **

**_Craggie: I do intend on making some more Death Note stories after this! Especially one with Near, he's beginning to be my favorite. So, yes, I'm always accepting ideas on new stories._ **

**_Amethyst: I'm glad I changed your mind! And thank you!_ **

**_A: I also ship Ruri/L. We should come up with a ship name for them. LawRi? Ruriet?_ **

**_Alexc123: I love writing it!_ **

**_Saraze: I'm glad I could make your weekend grand (: Here's another chapter!_ **

**_Lostfeather1: I'm glad you're enjoying it. I know L probably isn't haha. He hates how she keeps getting one step ahead of him. It's almost as if she can tell the future..._ **

**_Considering how much L I've been writing, I decided this chapter would be mostly Light/Ruri. And finally, FINALLY, I'm introducing another important character! Enjoy the chapter!))_ **

The moment Ruri woke up form her peaceful slumber, she immediately began packing what little items she had with her into her purple bag. Her pink toothbrush, her change of clothes from yesterday, her school textbooks- she had no use for them, but didn't want to lose them, so she simply kept them with her- and her leftover money, which was approximately 90 dollars left. She'd spent some of it on the hotel room and clothes.

Now that she was awake, she realized she hadn't eaten anything last night. Or, rather, this morning, considering Ruri went to bed at 3:30 in the morning. Now it was 8:58 A.M., and Ruri decided that she'd go somewhere for breakfast after she checked out.

She checked the borrowed laptop for any new messages, almost disappointed when she found none. Instead, a few numbers flashed in the corner of the screen every now and then, and Ruri grinned. L was trying to track the computer.

With this in mind, she grabbed her back pack, slung it over her shoulder, put on her shoes, and headed downstairs to check herself out. She gave the laptop back to the woman behind the counter, thanking her for letting her use it, then left. She searched through her bag and, upon finding the items she was searching for, smiled. She brought out the green baseball cap and dark sunglasses, putting them on as she walked. She tucked her hair under her cap.

After walking for nearly 15 minutes, making sure nobody was following her the entire time, she stopped and made her way into a small cafe she had passed a few times on the way to school. They had free wifi, as well as laptops you could borrow for a bit of money.

After making her way in and asking for a laptop, she made her way to a table in the back corner, away from the windows. It gave her the perfect view of the door and everyone in the small cafe, so she was content with the small, dark corner. After a minute of sitting there, just waiting, a woman came over in a fluffed up mini skirt and short cut top, handing her a bright blue laptop and giving her name, then asking for her order. Ruri plugged in the laptop as she answered.

"Yes, I'd like some eggs and toast, please."

"Any drinks?" She wrote down what I had told her, holding the notepad against her stomach as she spoke.

"Hm," Ruri hummed, starting up the laptop. "Coffee, thank you."

The woman nodded then left.

Ruri began messing around with the laptop and its' coding, trying to do the same thing with this laptop as she had done with the one from the hotel. Yet, instead of finding his number once again- she had no doubt he had probably changed it since their conversation-, she instead found his email. Or, rather, she found the email of Elraldo Coil. L didn't know that she knew of him being all three top detectives in the world, so this would definitely come as a surprise to him.

Yet, Ruri simply sat there, contemplating what to do next, she did not send him a message. She began thinking through her idea carefully, finding any loopholes or anything that would give her area or situation away.

If she sent him a message, she would be giving away the fact that she knows about his identity as Elraldo Coil and Deneuve, and, like with Light, that would give away her ace, her trick. She could possibly use this knowledge to her advantage in the future. If worse came to worse, she could at least use this, as well as his actual name, to make sure of her freedom if need be.

Her thought were interrupted as the woman from before, who had introduced herself as Kiyomi Kimi, came over with her food and mug of hot black coffee.

"Thank you," Ruri smiled politely. Kimi smiled, nodding her head.

"Of course! Just raise your hand if you need anything else from me, darling," Kimi then walks off. Ruri looks back down at the laptop for a moment, then picking up her fork to begin eating.

As she ate her first forkful of eggs, she added a packet of sugar and two containers of creamer into her coffee. Once she was pleased with the light color of her drink, she took a sip from it. Then added one more container of creamer.

As she began eating her food and drinking her coffee, she began thinking over her next move once more- then a though occurred to her. Light.

She should send a message to Light.

No doubt she had confused him when she just up and left, and she hadn't messages or talked to him since yesterday. She should at least message him, tell him she's okay. He was willing to help her- perhaps he still could, even if not in person.

With a small nod of her head, she began finding Light's phone number. She didn't have her own phone number- actually, she didn't have a phone at all. With the little amount of people she knew, and most of them being her family or neighbors, she never really saw the use of having a phone. She'd have to get one, at some point, now.

She sent a small message to his phone, hoping he'd send one back soon. It was January 9th, a Sunday, so school was out, but Ruri knew that Light sometimes had a few places to be on the week ends.

Ruri quickly dug through her purple bag, finding her notes and taking out a few of them, looking through them. The next important thing that Ruri had written down on her notes was January 12th, when L ends the watch over the Yagami house. Then, Ruri realized with a small smile, L would reveal himself to Light in entrance exams on January 18th. She began thinking of what she could do with this. Perhaps she could go to To Oh herself? L would most definitely recognize her, but she didn't know what he would do about it.

She eventually decided what she would do.

"Um, excuse me, ma'am?" It was almost 15 minutes after she sent the message that a woman spoke up from Ruri's side. Ruri glanced at the girl. It was her waitress, Kimi.

"Yes?"

Kimi placed something down in front of Ruri, smiling with a knowing smile as she spoke, "A boy in the back asked that I give you this. He paid for it," she removed her hand, and Ruri almost choked on her coffee as she looked down at the heart shaped slice of cake. It looked to be red velvet, if the bright red substance was anything to go on, with red icing, complete with cut up strawberries. Ruri's face heated up. Who the hell would give her something like this?

Her head whipped around to scout out the boy in question, and her eyes widened.

There, sitting three tables away from her, sat Light. He turned to look at her, smiling once he saw her red face.

She stuck her tongue out at him, and he kept his laugh to himself, before making his way over to her quietly. The waitress left, winking at the two, probably assuming they were a couple. Light sat in front of Ruri, smiling.

"You got my cake."

Ruri pushed it towards him, "You can have it back."

Light placed his hand on his chest, over where his heart would be, and a mock-hurt expression came over his face. "You mean you don't return my feelings? You wound me," he pouted, then dropped the act as he picked up Ruri's fork and took a bite from the cake. Ruri scoffed as she looked around the cafe.

"It's nice to know you can still joke in a situation like this," She mumbled, but as she looked at Light eating the cake he had bought for her, she couldn't help but smile.

He smiled, lowering the fork with icing and a strawberry back to the plate as he looked at the young girl.

"Alright, joking aside, I got your message."

"And you traced it back to here?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It was more difficult than I thought it'd be, so you obviously tried to make it untraceable, right?"

Ruri nodded, listening intently.

"Well, even so, this cafe had a server connected to its' wifi, which you hadn't removed when you messaged me. It was pretty easy to figure out where it came from."

Ruri nodded once more, looking down at her hands. She was glad she decided not to message L, then. She still had quite a bit to learn about computers and the such. If Light had found her this easily, then perhaps L has already found the laptop, back at the other hotel? If that's true, he would probably look through the list of customers, find the one woman who had checked in early in the morning, and then he'd find the note Ruri had left in her room, in the center of the bed.

Ruri bit down on her lip, brows furrowing. If he found it already, or even on his way there now, he would find her quicker than she had hoped and anticipated he would. She didn't have as much time as she thought. She'd have to move quicker.

"Ruri? What's wrong?"

She looked up at Light, noticing he had his hands folded over the table. They were touching hers.

"Nothing, just thinking."

Light didn't respond for a moment, perhaps thinking she was lying, before simply nodding. Then, he smiled a small smile, nodding toward the partially eaten cake.

"You really don't want any?"

Ruri looked at Light, then at the cake, then back to Light. He grinned.

Ruri scoffed and picked up the fork, pulling the cake closer to herself. "You know me too well."

"Well enough to know you like sweets, yes."

Ruri smiled, then began eating the sugary substance.

"Hey, Light..." She asked after swallowing the first bite. It was good, she had to admit.

"Hm?" He hummed, resting his chin in his hand as he looked at the younger girl.

"You plan on going to To Oh University, right?"

Light looked slightly surprised at her sudden question, but nodded nonetheless. "Yeah. Why, are you planning to go there?" He asked, jokingly. At her silence, his smile faded.

"You can't be serious, Ruri."

"Why not?" She challenged, looking into his eyes, the cake forgotten between the two of them.

"You're wanted! Dad is calling you a criminal!" He leaned forward, whispering. He didn't want anyone hearing their conversation and getting the wrong idea.

"But they're not coming after me," She reasoned.

Light looked taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Light," she whispered, leaning in just as he had. She ignored how close their faces were. "They didn't tell the public that I'm a criminal- they didn't put a profile of me online and warn people about me. They don't think I'm a criminal, or, if they do, they didn't tell anybody about it. Nobody would know that I was wanted."

After the explanation, she waited in bated breath. Light didn't move, his eyes looking back and forth between her own eyes as he thought this through. Then, after a moment of silence, he leaned back in his seat. Ruri leaned back as well, only slightly.

"All right, I guess so," he mumbled. Then he leaned in again, speaking quickly. "But you have to stick close to me in school, got it? And you have to tell me if something strange happens, alright?" Ruri thought this over for a moment before eventually nodding, agreeing to his terms.

"And," Light began, his concerned tone from before gone as a new tone of playful banter began, "You have to purposely get a lower score than me."

Ruri glanced at Light in surprise, then grinned, a genuine, playful grin.

"Deal."

To be honest, Ruri had planned on getting a lower score. She didn't want to be called to the front of the room with Light and L, not where L would be able to see her so clearly. It wasn't as though she planned to stay hidden from him. No, she was entirely certain he'd find her, even if she did plan on staying hidden from him- which she didn't. In fact, if anything, she planned on _finding_ him. While Ruri was sure she could escape him at any moment, especially to stay hidden from him, she would have been pretty grateful if he could call off this secret manhunt on her.

After Ruri agreed to Light's terms, they simply sat in silence for a few moments. The same waitress from before came over and asked if we needed anything.

"A coffee, please," Light flashed her a charming smile. She flushed and nodded, scurrying off to get him a mug of coffee.

"Womanizer," Ruri coughed, covering her mouth.

Light glared and Ruri laughed.

"Relax, Romeo, I'm only joking! Sheesh, you're so defensive," Ruri laughed.

Light scoffed at her and relaxed, putting his arms behind his head as he asked, " 'Romeo' ? If I'm Romeo, who does that make you, _Juliet_?"

Ruri scoffed as well, leaning forward on the table with her arms crossed. "Didn't Juliet explode or something?"

Light looked surprised for a second, then shot up in his seat, laughing. He leaned forward on the table as well, still laughing, as he responded, "Definitely not! In the original poem written by Shakespeare, set in Veronica, Italy in 1595, Juliet stabs herself in grief, after she loses her lover, Romeo."

Ruri rolled her eyes, glancing around the cafe, "Now you're just showing off."

"Showing off my knowledge of dark poems?" He raised a brow, smiling genuinely.

"Yep," She pops the 'p', smiling. Light's eyes narrow, and a sparkle of mischief glints in his eye.

The waitress returns with Light's cup of coffee before Light can respond, and she places his cup down between the two of us, slamming it down slightly as if to tell Ruri to 'back off'. She scoffed at the idea, and leans back in her seat slightly. Then, leaning back further, she criss crosses her legs onto her side of the booth.

Then the waitress also places down a slice of cake, not the same as the red velvet cake from before, but a while cake with yellow icing and a single strawberry on the top along with some whipped cream.

"Oh- we didn't order a cake, sorry," Ruri tells the woman, beginning to push the cake towards her.

"On the house," she says, a forced smile on her face as she practically glares at Ruri. She pushed the cake toward Light, then smiled at him in what Ruri assumed was supposed to be seductive, as she also leaned over slightly and fluttered her eyelashes at him. Ruri faked a gag, and Light held down a chortle at it as he responded to the woman.

"Thank you, I appreciate it," he grins. The waitress smiles and leaves. Ruri couldn't help but notice the not-so-subtle sway of her hips as she practically skipped away. She looked at the door she had vanished behind for a while in silence, before turning to Light with surprised eyes.

"Really?"

"What?"

Ruri laughed, pointing at the door the waitress had disappeared behind. "Free cake for you, _on the house_ , the subtle way she leaned over you? Did you not notice that?"

Light smiled. "You did?"

Ruri stopped laughing, pursing her lips as her face flushed slightly at being caught.

Light laughs. "No, I didn't notice, sorry. What did she do?"

Ruri snorts, imitating what the woman had done. She leaned forward on the table, pushing her lips out in a kissy face, and fluttered her lashes as she spoke, "Ohh Light-sama~ Please, notice me!" Ruri squealed in an over-the-top high pitched voice. Light covered his mouth, before breaking out in laughter.

"You either have worse observation skills than I thought, or you just didn't care," Ruri laughed, putting her hands back down to the table.

"I did notice," Light laughs, leaning back as he tries to conceal his laughter, "I just didn't care! But, you look way better doing it."

Ruri couldn't help the grin that spreads on her face, along with the warmth spreading over her face, and she covers her face with her hands, leaning against the table. She groans.

"You're _such_ a flirt!"

"It's too easy to fluster you," Light muses. Ruri just groans again, hoping that the blush on her face would go away soon. To her chagrin, it didn't. In fact, it only got worse the second she felt Light's fingers touch her own. His hands envelop hers, and he pulls her hands away from her face gently.

Ruri's breath hitches in her face as she looks into Light's eyes- when had he gotten so close to her?

They looked into each others eyes, hands intertwined.

Then, Light leans forward slowly, inch by inch. Ruri knows what's coming, though she isn't entirely sure whether she wanted to stop it or not. As she stays stock still, frozen by anticipation, she can't help but lean in as well. Slowly, ever so slowly, she leans in, and-

Her laptop binged.

The noise startled her, her eyes shot open as she looked at Light in surprise. He pulled away from her, letting go of her hands as he looked off to the side. She could have sworn she saw a blush tinted onto his features. Ruri sits still for a moment, almost wishing the moment would continue. She hesitantly pulled back, pursing her lips together as she thought about what she almost did, and what had interrupted it. She glanced at her computer. Then, all feelings of warmth and fluttery emotions dissipated in a second as she read the text on the screen.

_New Message._

_Unknown: I've found you._

_._

_._

...Fuck.

* * *

**_((Heeeyyyy! So don't kill me (":_ **

**_Tell me what you thought, and what you hope to see more of in the future! Leave lots of reviews, they help me type!))_ **


	14. Chapter 14

_**((Important!(kind of)! Please read!** _

_**Okay, so, a guest made a point that I had meant to talk to you all a while ago, but totally forgot about it! I wanted to tell you how she's seeing everything. She's in the anime, which means everything looks animated to her, including her own appearance. In hindsight, I should have said this in chapter two, but I forgot all about it. I wanted you all to know, for future references, that she is seeing everything in an animated point of view, they don't look realistic. That's all, continue!** _

_**IJustDon'tCare123: Thank you! You have a great day as well (:** _

_**DarkDust27: We'll see, won't we? (;** _

_**Reula: Haha, sorry! I love to end them on cliffhangers!** _

_**Saraze: Wow, you have lots of questions, don't you? To answer a few of them- Ryuk isn't always with Light, sometimes Light is left on his own. Ryuk wasn't with him when he went and found Ruri. Ruri isn't afraid of Light killing her. Not only does she have faith in him and his loyalty, but she's also immune to the Death Note, remember? So she isn't afraid. At this point in time, Light doesn't know that L is focused on catching Ruri, he only knows his Dad is trying to catch her, along with his coworkers. He hasn't met L yet, remember?** _

_**To everyone else to reviewed: Thank you! Your reviews make me smile every time I read them (:** _

_**Enjoy this chapter!))** _

It was a full week and two days later when things began moving on track once more. January 18th, the day when L revealed himself to Light in the entrance exams to To Oh University.

Ruri had been shocked to find the message on her borrowed laptop a week ago, and had previously assumed it was L. It if was, L never let her know that it was him. Almost immediately after she received the message, she left the cafe, after telling Light she had somewhere she needed to be. Light left afterward, said goodbye to her, and hugged her, telling her he'd always be there to help her, if she ever needed anything. Then they went separate ways.

Now, Light had met Ruri on the 17th, before the actual exams.

The actual entrance exams on the 17th, a _Sunday_ , and Ruri hated it. Why would they make the exams on a weekend, when everyone was taking their time to relax and have a nice day off? Though Ruri got over the timing soon enough, and met up with Light early in the morning before the exams, when L was nowhere in sight and wouldn't be watching the both of them- not that Light knew he'd be being watched, of course.

They'd talked, mostly catching up on whatever they each had been doing since they saw last, at the cafe. Ruri had made up some lie about what she was doing all that time.

Mostly staying in a hotel, watching T.V.. _Moving hotels every night and hacking into computers and electronics._

Talking to a few friends from school. _Contacting L almost every night._

Playing a few games. _Leading L on a wild goose chase, and laughing at his confusion._

And then she told him that was that, and the next thing happening was her making her way to the entrance exams.

Light reminded her about their deal, how she had to stay close to him at all times, and how she had to get a lower grade than him- albeit this he said with much more of a flourish, the egotistic jerk- and how she wasn't supposed to cause any trouble.

"Hey, now, we never agreed on that last one," Ruri interrupted, a joking glare on her face. Light scoffed.

"I kind of feel like it's necessary."

She ended up agreeing to his terms, even if she did plan on causing just a _bit_ of trouble. Just a bit.

And so now, she sat in her own seat, almost 10 rows above Light's own seat, taking the entrance exams. Ruri could look down and see the back of his head.. as well as the back of an unruly mop of black hair, sticking out in all directions. She grinned, knowing this was L. She'd seen drawings of him before, in the manga, so she knew what it was he looked like. Even if the hair didn't give him away, the way he was sitting- no, more like _crouching_ \- on his seat definitely did.

Ruri leaned forward in her seat, crossing her ankles together as she held her chin in her hands, grinning wildly. She had to admit, she was a bit of a fan girl when it came to the detective. Especially considering how they had been talking back and forth the past week, Ruri giving him hints as to where she was every night before bed, and then disappearing in the morning. Ruri had no doubt L was starting to get very annoyed by this game they were playing. He hated losing, and so did she. Ruri could only stifle a giggle as she thought about L getting frustrated because of her. The idea of stumping the top three greatest detectives in the world all at once was kind of exhilarating.

Ruri's pencil tapped against her paper quietly as she thought, looking at L's head, before looking to Light's head, then back. She really had no plan, no idea of what she was going to do next. She wanted to stay hidden, that much was certain, so she would not come out and reveal herself to L as being Synclair, or Ruri for that matter. Then she paused, brows furrowing. Light. L knew that Light and Ruri were friends. Would Light accidentally give her away?

No, she thought. Light was smarter than that. He knows she's being wanted as a criminal right now. And, if she remembers correctly, L comes out and tells Light who he is tomorrow, when their test scores were handed back to them, and where L and Light would give the speech at the front of the school. So, as long as Light doesn't tell L that Ruri was here as well, which he doubts he would do, then she'd be fine. He would know not to tell L about her.

"Excuse me, miss...?" Ruri hears a voice speak up from beside her. She turned, looking at the teacher standing by her side in surprise.

"Kameko Aya," Ruri responded, a charming smile on her face as she lowered one of her hands.

The teacher nodded, "Miss Kameko, please stop tapping your pencil on your desk, it distracts the other students."

"Oh," Ruri straightens her back, placing her pencil down on her desk. "Alright, sorry," she nods her head.

"Shouldn't you be taking your test, Miss Kameko?"

Ruri looked down at her paper, thought for a moment, then looked back up at the teacher. "I've already finished."

He looked perplexed. "Already? You still have twenty minutes," he checked his wrist watch, making sure he was correct, which he was.

"Ah. I'll look over it, then, and make sure I didn't miss anything," Ruri smiled. Truthfully, Ruri had finished her test almost ten minutes ago, but the man didn't need to know that. The teacher nodded, smiled politely, then straightened his back and walked off to check on the other students. Ruri looked after him for a moment, watching his retreating form, before turning back in her seat, to the front. Then she paused, eyes widening slightly as she stared ahead.

L was turning to glance at her.

Ruri quickly tucked her head down at her test, pretending to be focused intently.

She didn't know how well L's hearing was, but if it was as well as she assumed it'd be, he probably heard everything she had just said. If that's true, he probably knows she's already finished. With L's quick mind, she had no doubt he'd probably connect the dots. He wouldn't have enough to assume that she was Synclair, no, but he'd keep his eye on her.

Damn it, Ruri furrowed her brows and bit her lip, thinking hard. He wasn't supposed to find her so quickly. Hell, Ruri would have preferred it if he _never_ found her, but she knew wishing like that was hopeless, and it was no use. She just had to hope that he would assume she was just a quirky school girl, nothing more.

There were no images of Ruri except for her school I.D., which she had changed so her I.D. actually said her name was Kameko Aya, and whatever pictures the school kids had taken of her and light. She knew, though, for a fact that Soichiro and Sachiko didn't have any pictures of her. Her own family would, but she'd figured out from Light that they weren't letting the police anywhere near their home anymore. Ruri knew she could trust them.

So L had to have no idea what she looked like, right?

Ruri hoped so.

"Time!" A loud voice shouted from the front of the room. A chorus of groans and angered sighs went about the room, as most people probably hadn't finished their tests. "Turn over your tests and put your pencils down!"

Ruri did as instructed, placing her pencil in a way that they were exactly even with each other. Try as she might, she simply couldn't mask her OCD and her want to keep things neat and tidy, pencils included.

Even if, she glared at the two writing utensils, they were uneven.

"Pass all of your tests to the left, a teacher will come and pick them up once finished!" The man at the front shouted again. Ruri winced at the loud tone of his voice. Having a heightened sense of hearing was good for hearing things you weren't mean to hear, but terrible for blocking out such loud sounds. She stacked her papers together, then handed them off to the person to her left. She was the on the edge of the right side, so there was nobody to hand their tests to her.

After a moment of shuffling papers, the teachers came by and picked up the papers.

"Everyone else may leave the room! Come back tomorrow for your test scores!"

And with that, the room erupted into mumbles and hushed whispers as friends began talking to each other, picking their things up and making their way out of the room.

Light got up, shuffled his backpack over his shoulder, and made his way to Ruri. He spared a glance at a standing L as he passed him, most likely confused as to who the man was. Light didn't know who L was yet, they would only officially meet tomorrow, when their scores were displayed. Light stopped in front of Ruri's desk, and Ruri almost held her breath as L passed by, glancing at Light, then making eye contact with Ruri. As Ruri stood, a new, black backpack hung over her shoulder- she knew L would definitely identify her normal purple bag, so Light had bought her a new one- she didn't spare L a glance. She didn't want to give him any reason to suspect her, not any more than he probably already did, at least.

Light glanced at L as he left, but quickly averted his eyes as Ruri stood.

"So," he began, crossing his arms over his chest. "Are you ready to go, _Miss_ _Kameko_?" He narrowed his eyes at her, both in amusement and with an untold question- _if you're not in trouble, why the alias?_ \- and Ruri scoffed, placing her hand on her hip.

"Don't." She shook her head, smiling as she walked out of the room, Light trailing behind closely. He walked by her side, shoulder practically touching hers. She pretended not to notice.

She also pretended what happened at the cafe hadn't, well, _happened_.

"So, where are you going to go next? I think Dad is still looking for you," Light asked, glancing at Ruri out of the corner of his eyes. Ruri hummed, biting her lip as she thought.

"I could stay in the same hotel again," she responded, remembering her lie from earlier.

Light hummed. "And where would that be, again?" Ruri almost faltered. She knew he was testing her, or perhaps genuinely curious as to where she'd be staying, but she thought quickly. She had already signed into a hotel this morning, she supposed she could go there.

"MainStaye Suites. Why, you planning on visiting dear old me?" Ruri asked, changing the topic of the conversation expertly. Light laughed, putting his arms behind his head as he walked.

"Maybe," he answered. He gave no other response or explanation, and Ruri pouted.

"You better knock, then."

"Actually, I think I'll just barge in at two in the morning," he explained sarcastically. "Of course I'll knock."

Ruri grinned, facing forwards once more, catching sight of black hair, disappearing behind the black door of a limousine.

"Good."

* * *

True to his word, Light actually did visit Ruri later in the day. Later, being 4:32 P.M.

"Light?" Ruri asked, surprised to see him there, at the door. He smiled.

"Ruri."

They stared for a moment, until Ruri took a step back and motioned for him to come in, replacing her surprised expression with one of amusement.

And then embarrassment.

Every time she's around Light, hell, every time she's around _anybody_ else, she's always wearing long sleeved shirts with a collar, as well as long jeans and boots that covered her legs and feet completely. Her scars was not something she likes people to see very often. The only people who had seen them at all would be Aki and her parents. Even then, they didn't know the full story behind them. If Light saw them, he'd definitely ask about them...

"Let me go change," Ruri spoke up, closing the door and making her way to her bathroom.

"What? Why?" Light asked, standing in the center of the hotel room. It wasn't perfectly clean, but it was the cleanest Ruri had managed to get it in such short notice. "The clothes you're wearing now are beautiful." Ruri pretended to not notice the subtle compliment.

"Eh," Ruri shrugged, poking the ground with her bare toes. She wished she was wearing jeans right now, instead of her black khaki shorts. "No reason in particular," she mused, smiling in the hopes he'd forget about it. He doesn't.

And then he notices it.

His posture tenses almost immediately, his eyes narrowed, and his fists clenched as soon as he saw the pink, ragged scar that ran across her shoulder.

"Ruri," he began, his voice dangerously low. Ruri winced, lowering her head and hoping her hair would cover her eyes. She didn't want to look at him. Through the curtain of black hair, she saw his shoes come in sight as he walked closer. She forced herself to not step back.

Light placed his hands on Ruri's forearms, pulling her closer to him. She looked up, and Light stared down at her. There was something in his eyes, something Ruri didn't care to find out. She wandered where Ryuk was, he could definitely dissipate some of this tension. Then, Light asked the one question she had hoped he wouldn't.

"Who did this to you?"

Ruri looked down at the collar of his shirt, she couldn't force herself to look into his eyes. She raised a hand and placed it on top of his, trying in vain to push his hands away. "It doesn't matter."

Light looked taken aback, now, but he quickly got over his surprise and gripped onto her tighter. She winced.

"Yes, it does, Ruri! Who did this to you?" He asked again, louder. Ruri looked down.

"It's nothing to worry about, Light..."

"If it was nothing to worry about, then I wouldn't be worrying about it, Ruri!"

"Well then _why are you_?" She asked, looking up into his eyes. He was definitely taken aback by now, especially considering just a second ago she was cowering away from him in fear of the touchy subject of her scars, and now she was glaring into his eyes with the same intensity he had been looking into hers.

His brows furrowed.

"Why do you _think_? I _care_ about you!" Ruri didn't even bother trying to pretend to be surprised. She had known it for a while, now. Light's voice dropped, his eyes went from angry to worried so fast Ruri got dizzy. "I worry about you, Ruri."

Ruri no longer had the heart to look into his eyes anymore, so she once more lowered them.

"So, please, tell me what happened to you, Ruri. Who did this?"

.

And she told him everything.

* * *

Light sat at the back of the bed, leaning his back against the headboard as he glanced down at the sleeping girl.

She'd cried, several times, while retelling her story. Light comforted her each time, patiently waiting for her to continue, and, when she did, he'd give her reassuring words and hold her hand through the whole ordeal. It was everything he could do to not lash out in anger. Not at her, no. While he was surprised and, he admitted, slightly hurt that she had kept this from him the whole time they knew each other, he was not angry at her. He could never be angry at her.

It was the people who did this to her that he was angry with. And, most of all, he was angry at himself. He was angry for not figuring her past out sooner. He prided himself on his observant eyes, so why now, when he needed them more than ever, had he failed to notice what was so painfully obvious?

The reason she wore long sleeves every day, even in the summer. The reason she never wore shorts, or took off her socks, even when relaxing after school with him. The reason she was so anti social when he had first met her, the reason she liked to sit in between him and her brother when in a public space.

He never noticed any of it.

And that, that was what he was angry at.

And after retelling her story, the young girl had fallen asleep against his shoulder, eyes red and puffy from tears she had spilled. After a moment of silence in the room, he had maneuvered the younger girl so she was laying on her side, head in his lap. One hand rested on her arm, the other on her head as he brushed back her hair gently.

He had been reminded, he realized now.

He was reminded why he did what he did, why he killed the people he killed, why he became Kira in the first place.

For people like Ruri. For people who deserve better, for people who deserve to live in a world carefree and happy, with no worries of what might happen to them late at night if they were alone or without friends.

It was people like her that made him into the man he is.

* * *

**_((Haha so even more Ruri/Light, hm? Well, that's okay. Things get interesting starting next chapter, if it wasn't interesting enough already! Make sure to review lots, they help me type!))_ **


	15. Chapter 15

**_((Hey! Author-chan here with another update (: Now, I got news for you guys: I've been getting back into Black Butler(the anime) so I don't know how often I'll update this story now that I feel like writing for the other show. I won't abandon this story, though, ever! So don't worry about it, I just wanted to let you know what was up if I don't update this as often. Also, a question: if I were to start a Black Butler story, would any of you be interested in reading it? I want to know how many Black Butler fans are out there (:_ **

**_Maz: Muahaha! Thank you (:_ **

**_Penny Polendina: Here ya go uwu_ **

**_A: All I can say is... you'll love the ending (; (Also, we're totally going with Ruriet)_ **

**_Amethyst: Thank you!_ **

**_xFarxAwayx: Thank you! And, no, it's not strange. A teeny bit mean to Ruri(she doesn't like being laughed at) but not strange (:_ **

**_.A: Actually, that is functional to the plot. Didn't you ever notice that BB is one of the main characters? He's definitely going to make an appearance, and soon. I'm working on integrating him into the story._ **

**_Lostfeather1: I think I'll make her opinion on Misa something akin to pity, maybe saying that she feels bad for Misa getting used the way she will be. Idk yet._ **

**_Thanks for all the reviews!))_ **

The next morning, Ruri fought the urge to stay in bed all day.

Light had left the night before, no doubt being questioned by his father on why he had been away for so long and stayed out so late. Ruri woke up, tucked into the bed with her three pillows on either side of her, one under her head.

She spent the first twenty minutes simply laying in the same position, not even daring to think, as if doing anything would shatter this illusion of peace. She was afraid that if any interruption were to happen, she wouldn't get another chance like this, a chance at being in peace for longer than a split second.

That interruption, was her alarm clock.

Ruri groaned at the loud beeping, hoping it wouldn't wake the other people in the hotel. She was well aware of the thin walls of this place.

Struggling to find the energy to leave the warm cocoon of blankets, she groans louder, in frustration, as she can't seem to find the object without having to open her eyes.

Finally, after a full minute of blaring noises and hoping the device would burn in hell, she opened her eyes, squinting at the bright sunlight flowing in through the windows and curtains. Then, she jumps up and practically slams her hand down on the clock.

7:52 A.M.

Not only was she surprised at how late she had woken up- she assumed Light set the time later due to how late she fell asleep- but she realized that she would be late if she didn't hurry. With this in mind, Ruri jumps up out of her warm bed, tripped over her own shoes laying on the side of the floor, and made her way to her connected bathroom.

She hurried with brushing her teeth, then showering. She was angry at herself for picking such a low rated hotel, but it was the only hotel she could name without going back to the ones she'd already been to, and she seethed about this in the cold shower. Then, getting out, she dried herself off as she simultaneously tried to put on her underwear.

After nearly tripping on the wet ground, she opted to slow down so she wouldn't hurt herself any further.

She dressed in a long sleeved grey shirt with holes for the thumbs, as well as a black t-shirt with a hoodie on, over it. She put on her long skinny jeans quickly, her athletic figure slipping into them easily, as well as her black socks and white and purple tennis shoes.

She grabbed her new black bag, throwing in a few items. Her green sketch book, a few colored pens, as well as three new lined notebooks, for her studying and note taking during classes. Afterward, she made her way out of her hotel room, leaving her other things packed in her usual green and purple bag, stuffed underneath the bed in case anyone came into her room while she's away. She doubted it, but she couldn't be sure. She hadn't given a hint to L on where she was staying the night before, so he should have no clue as to where she was at the moment.

Unless, of course, she was wrong and he really had identified her yesterday afternoon.

Sighing, she locked her room and put the key on top of the door frame, just short enough for her to reach it if she stood on her toes, but tall enough to stay out of sight. Then, she made her way out of the lobby, checking her phone for the time as she made her way to the building in which she was supposed to get her grades.

9:35 A.M.

She had half an hour left before she had to be there.

* * *

**_((Okay, so this is only a small filler(emphasis on 'small' haha), but I mostly wanted to get that A/N out, but I didn't want to leave you with nothing, so here's part of a chapter._ **

**_As said in the A/N, I don't know when I'll update this next, but I'll try to get one out before the end of next week._ **

**_But while on the topic of next week, guess what!_ **

**_School ends in two weeks!_ **

**_Woot woot! Which means I'll have lots of time for all of my stories in two weeks! I hope you're glad (:_ **

**_Leave lots of reviews, they help me write!))_ **


	16. Chapter 16

**_((Heya guys! I know I haven't update in a while, and I'm sorry about that, but I'm kind of lacking a little bit in the motivational store! Sorry ):_ **

**_Plus, nobody reviewed even once on chapter 16! I kind of felt really disappointed about that, and my motivation dropped a lot. I don't know how many of you out there are writers like I am, but I can tell you this: it helps a lot to get reviews, and it destroys my confidence when I get none. I know it may sound greedy or something but idk ._ **

**_Anyway, I kinda forced this one out due to the fact that I really had no plans on what to do in this chapter, so I just went with whatever came to mind. I'm also gonna have to brush up on the show, I almost forgot what happened after they spoke their speech haha._ **

**_Anyway, this chapter is shorter than some of the others, as it's only somewhere around the range of two thousand words, but hopefully it's long enough for you guys to enjoy, yes?_ **

**_So, yeah! Leave lots of reviews this time, please! Don't be afraid to tell me what you think, you guys! And enjoy this chapter!))_ **

With a mere two minutes to spare, Ruri found herself in the building, panting. Stepping inside, she scoured the area for a free seat. She made sure not to sit next to L or Light. Only two rows behind the pair was a free seat, behind L. She sat there, listening in as the lights dimmed slightly so everyone's attention was at the front of the room, where a man dressed sharply began speaking into a microphone.

Leaning back in her seat, Ruri sighed, catching her breath rather quickly. She began fixing her clothes as the man in the front droned on and on about how he's proud to say that To Oh Academy was such a rich and fancy place and how he looked forward to meeting everyone, yada yada. All that stuff.

Then, after patting down her jeans and tucking the bottom of her pants into her boots, the man at the front began to call out names. Two names.

"Yagami Light, and.. Hideki Ryuga!" The man called out, surprise clearly evident on his features. Shocked gasps filled the air at the second name, the people around the room most likely thought he meant the pop star. Ruri snorted at their disappointed sighs.

The two in question stood, making their way to the front of the room leisurely. Light walked with an air of belonging; he knew where he wanted to be and what he wanted to do. L looked around curiously, yet never letting Light out of his sight. This, mixed with his baggy clothing and unkempt hair, not to mention the fact he was leaning over himself, made him look practically like a homeless man. Everyone was quite surprised to see him walking up the stairs, side by side with Light Yagami.

Ruri leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs and setting her hands down in her lap. She smiled, and she couldn't help but bite her lip. She'd noticed more and more that she often did that when thinking hard about something, or excited.

And she was definitely excited to hear L's real, unfiltered voice. She'd caught glimpses of it from time to time, such as when listening in to him talking to Light in the first entrance exams, but she was excited to hear his voice in full, without the hushed whispering.

As Light began talking, L's eyes began scouring the crowd, looking for something.

 _Looking for me_ , Ruri thought. She must admit, the thought did send shivers down her spine, although she wasn't entirely certain why. Perhaps it was the attention. Ruri couldn't remember any time she had gotten so much attention, especially not any attention that was so new and exciting to her. She loved it.

Moments after his eyes began shifting through each and every face of the crowd, his eyes landed on her. It had skipped over to the next person, some young man next to her, before it paused- she couldn't tell if it was her imagination or not when it looked as though his eyes widened- and turned back to her. Ruri bit her lip, and sent him a sly smile. His eyes narrowed, and he brought his thumb to his lips. He did not smile back.

As Light continued his speech, the two of them did not break eye contact. His dark eyes darted back and forth between her own bright red orbs, and she could only assume he was thinking, perhaps trying to break her down and see just how she thinks, how she worked.

She wouldn't let him.

With this in mind, her grin widened. He narrowed his eyes at her and dropped his hand as Light finished his talk. Ruri bit the edge of her lip again as she watched him pick up the paper, which she knew for a fact was blank, his eyes never leaving hers.

It was only then that he broke the eye contact, and he looked down at the _blank_ paper and began reciting the same congratulatory and welcome speech that Light had spoken.

Ruri sniffed to cover her giggle, looking down at her hands at the few odd glances she got.

As his speech came to an end, he glanced back up at the crowd, taking only a second to locate the same girl once more. The both of them did nothing as the man from before- a teacher, or the headmaster perhaps, Ruri guessed- began speaking into a microphone once more, likely congratulating Light and 'Ryuga' both for getting the highest scores in the school. His tone was laced with boredom and, perhaps, even annoyance. Ruri guessed he probably had to repeat this speech every year at school, and she felt bad for the man for having to say it so often. If he tried, he might actually be able to say it without the paper he held, like L.

The man concluded his long speech with a final, "And that is all! If you have any questions about seating arrangements, feel free to ask the staff to your left. If not, you are free to leave and converse in the cafeteria. Have a good day, and I wish you all the best of luck in your school year."

With that, he walked off the stage, all of the lights turned on, and Ruri shut her eyes to get rid of the small headache caused by the sudden bright light. All the other students began standing up, collecting their things, and heading whatever way they wanted to go to for now. The majority of students began walking out of the room, but a handful of them began making their way to the conversing staff to the left of the room. Ruri stood up, slung her black backpack over her shoulder, and slowly made her way to the door that led to the outside. She watched as L and Light began walking off the stage, together. L's eyes were on Light, and Light's eyes were on Ruri. Consequently, L's eyes trailed the direction Light was looking in, and looked straight into Ruri's eyes.

Ruri glanced into L's eyes, but quickly returned them to Light's own brown orbs. She smiled when he got closer, and clutched the black bag with both hands.

"Hey, Light," she greeted warmly. L still stared at her. Light smiled at her.

"Hello, Aya," Light responded, using her alias, to her gratitude. Ruri glanced at L, acting confused and a bit surprised.

"Oh- who's your friend, here?" She pointed at L with her right hand, still clutching the black bag with her left.

Light looked confused for a moment, glanced at L, then looked thoroughly annoyed. "Oh, uh, I really wouldn't call him a friend-"

L cut him off, "I'm Hideki Ryuga, I tied with Light in the final exam. You are?" He placed both his hands in his pocket. Ruri smiled, bowing politely at the waist.

"My name's Kameko Aya. It's a pleasure to meet you, Hideki-San." She straightened her back, smiling politely at L's puzzled expression. She tilted her head. "Is something wrong?"

He didn't respond immediately. He brought a hand from his pocket, placing the thumb to his lip. Honestly, Ruri was surprised how often he did this in public. She would have thought he'd try to keep things about himself a secret, especially his quirks. Finally, he responded with a quiet, "..No, Kameko-San."

Ruri nodded.

"Well," Light intervened, wary of the sudden silence in the room. He glanced around, noting that most of the teachers and students were gone, most likely in the cafeteria. "I think we should get going, now."

Ruri nodded again, smiling politely at L as she turned around. "Alright."

As the three of them walked out of the large, almost empty room, Ruri walked to Light's side and L on the other, efficiently trapping Light in the center of the walk. Ruri glanced at L, he stared back at her. She did not break eye contact, and neither did he. Ruri smiled. He did not. After a moment of silent staring, Ruri furrowed her brows in mock confusion and spoke,

"Are you sure you're alright, Hideki-San?"

His response was almost immediate. "Please, call me Ryuga."

Ruri was surprised, and she let it show. Was that his plan, then? To act nice and get her to trust him? Perhaps slip up? Oh well, Ruri would play along.

"Oh, alright," She mused, looking back to the front of her. She glanced at him, smiling, "Ryuga."

He hummed, then looked to the front as well. Light seemed stiff, and Ruri had to keep her smile to herself. It was pretty amusing to see them interacting, especially since Ruri could see that he was thinking a mile a minute behind his eyes. He was stressed and trying to think of a way out of this situation, Ruri knew.

And if she could see it, L could see it.

Then Ruri realized where they were heading. "Hey, where are you heading, Light?"

Light glanced at her, as did L.

"To the cafeteria, of course. Where are you heading?"

Ruri bites the edge of her lip, looking out at the trees and the garage containing the cars. "Actually, I think I'm going to go back home." Light looked surprised.

"We were told to head to the cafeteria, though."

"That's only if you don't know where you're supposed to be seated starting next week. I know my spot, so I have no reason to stay," Ruri shrugged. Light hummed, and, after a moment of thought, nodded.

"Alright. I'll see you in school, then?" He asked hopefully, glancing at the younger girl.

She nodded, starting to move away from the two of them. "Of course. I'll see you around." She walked off. Then, turning on her heels, she bows and smiles at L politely. She speaks, "I hope to see you around, too, Ryuga." She straightened herself as L begins responding.

"Hm, yes," he hums quietly, "I hope to see you around, as well, Miss Kameko."

"Ah," Ruri grins, "Please, call me Aya."

He doesn't respond after that, and Ruri turns and begins walking off campus.

She smiled to herself as she walks off. She was so excited about the turn of events, and she hoped that she would get to learn more about L, personally. She was excited to interact with him and Light both.

* * *

_**((Leave lots of reviews, you guys! They help me right, for real!))** _


	17. Chapter 17

_**((...I fuckin' did it again. I pressed back space and the field wasn't clicked on. I lost 2,400 words that I was typing up. That was two days ago, I got so upset I had to stop and cry for a few minutes. And then I didn't feel like starting all over again. But I got a shit ton of reviews and I haven't updated in two weeks, so I forced myself to get up and do it again, and, just like the first time it happened, I took a different path for this chapter to go down. And it's long, like the chapters used to be!** _

_**Responses to reviews:** _

_**AVuhuelA: First of all, thank you for the long review! I was excited to read it. Thank you for your talk u-u it helped me a lot, and it made me feel better about my writing. You definitely have a way with words, even if English isn't your original language! Also, BB will be coming in, in a few chapters. He's considered a main character of this story, so you will be seeing lots of him (;** _

_**Saraze: Thank you for the compliments! And I want you to know(as well as everybody else!) that I will never abandon this story! I don't have a lot of motivation at the moment, because I'm getting into a lot of different fandoms atm, but I will continue on! I started rewatching Death Note last night, so my motivation is slowly, but surely, returning, and I'll write more often afterwards.** _

_**MysticTaloness: Thank you so much! Those ideas are a lot of help, too! I'm already having so many different ideas on how to get to them, how to write them, reactions, ect ect. Also- the idea with Ruri being tied up like Misa was already on my mind, too! I'm uncertain if I'll be doing that(I kind of want her to be hand cuffed to L, instead of Light u/3/u), but I will definitely think on the idea. And I'll be using the other ideas you gave me, too! Look forward to those (;** _

_**I don't have enough time to write out a thanks to everybody who reviewed(I got too many to comment on anyway oops) but I want to say thank you to everybody who reviewed, and I hope you all have a wonderful day/night, depending on where you are.** _

_**Enjoy this chapter! Another one should be out by next week, if I feel motivated enough!))** _

One thing that never changed no matter how much older you got, was Homework.

Ruri stared down at the pages before her, sighing in annoyance.

Her she was, a sixteen year old red-eyed girl on the run from the law, hiding right beneath their noses and parading around as a student _right in front of the man she was hiding from_ , and yet she felt defeated by her advanced math homework.

It was no trouble, of course, considering she was a genius-she may or may not have grown a bit of an ego from being around Light so much-, but she still hated it.

She groaned, pushing the papers off of her bed. The white pages floated down to the ground softly, as if they couldn't see the fact that Ruri was glaring hatred down at them as if she was coaxing them to burn to a crisp.

She rolled her eyes, falling back onto her bed with an audible "oof" as her back made contact with crisp, white sheets. She lay still for a moment, thinking, as she stared up at the softly swishing ceiling fan.

Considering she had taken the entrance exams to To-Oh Academy on the 17th of January, it had been roughly three weeks since she started taking classes at the advanced school. It was now January 28th, a Thursday. She thought of what had happened after school, earlier that day.

The thought of how Beyond Birthday was supposedly killed by Kira on January 21st crossed her mind, before she quickly pushed it off to the side. It didn't matter at the moment, and if it was true, and he was, in fact, dead, then it wouldn't matter at all, ever.

In her three weeks at To-Oh Academy, she watched L closely. Not close enough to be caught, mind you, but close enough to learn some interesting things about him. If he ever noticed, he didn't say anything. In fact, he didn't say anything to her, at all. He never made any attempt to arrest her, nor did he give off any indication that he knew who she was, as well. She first assumed she must a bit of luck, and perhaps he really, truly did not know who she was, and that glance on the first day was simply because he wanted to see who the teacher was talking to. And then she quickly tossed the idea from her mind. She had never been lucky enough for something as good as that to happen. He must have had a plan, some kind of an end goal.

Considering Ruri had kept her promise and had stayed close to Light, and how L had kept close to Light to learn more about him and possible gather evidence on him being Kira, Ruri inadvertently cursed herself to have to spend a lot of time around the insomniac detective.

It wasn't that Ruri didn't want to spend time around him-she actually quite enjoyed his personality! One of the many things she had learned while around him was his odd sense of humor- the kind that made her laugh. His sarcastic remarks under his breath that Light never notices always made her stifle a giggle or two. He always noticed.

Another thing he had noticed about her, was how she always sat rows away from him and Light both, in class.

Considering Ruri had decided since the day she met with L that she would be playing the dumbed-down shy girl with a crush on the brunette prodigy, he ended up noticing her hesitance to sit around him.

Which was why she cursed to herself when he ended up asking, "If you like Light-kun so much, why do you sit so far from him?"

She acted surprised, and considering he had come up behind her and asked without even pronouncing his presence to her, she wasn't even acting when she looked behind her in a panic. She sighed when she figured out who it was. Then, she stumbled for a response, using her slight higher-than-normal pitched tone she had adopted as part of her act, she stuttered out shyly,

"W-well, I don't think he'd ever notice me, is all. I mean- I'm just one girl! And I'm not even that pretty either, but he has lots of beautiful girls who like to sit with him..." She sighed, looking down at her notebook filled with scribbles and the occasional note on literature or her homework pages she didn't bother to remember.

He hesitated for just a second, most likely figuring out if she was being honest or not, before responding, "If he won't notice you, then what would it hurt to sit with him?"

She held back a sigh, and forced her body not to pause as she thought over his words.

Curse him and his reverse thinking.

"My pride, most likely," she mumbled under her breath.

Then, he lowered his thumb from his lip- something he had been doing more often, now that Ruri realized- and grabbed her wrist.

"Nonsense."

And he began pulling her out of her seat, toward Light. She gasped quietly.

His fingers were, unsurprisingly, cold. Most likely from all the late nights he spends awake in front of the monitor- with the light's off, no less.

She immediately pushed the thought of how nice it felt against her warm skin from her mind as he continued to practically drag her weight to Light's table. How strong was he? She pulled back, but he never even faltered in his step. She huffed, eventually giving up and walking by his side. It almost looked like they were holding hands, from a distance.

After that, Light had been surprised to see her there, but turned to her and welcomed her, even starting up a conversation. As they spoke, Ruri smiled and pretended to be her usual, shy self- L was watching her. Light used this moment to his advantage, she realized, when he began asking her about her grades. He made a few quips about how he was always willing to tutor her if she failed a grade 'again'. She kept the twitch of her eye to herself, holding down the glare she felt ever so compelled to send to him.

When Light finally realized he wouldn't get more out of her than a nod or a shake of her head or the occasional sentence or two, he turned to talk to the other girls beside him. When she looked up, L was giving her a look. She couldn't quite tell what it meant, but if she had to guess, she'd say it was either a "i'm onto you Ruri Shinju," or perhaps a "How bad are you at math? Jeez".

Something along those lines.

After the class had ended, she said her usual goodbye to Light and L both, and began making her way to her hotel room she had been using for a few nights. She meant to get a new one, and soon, for the fear that he may catch on to her. She had stopped sending him a puzzle so often a week after she began going to To-Oh. She would have done it sooner, had she not realized that if she stopped on the same day, he would have noticed for sure. Instead, she sent him a letter or a note every few days, or a day after he sends her something. But, back to her walk after school.

She had noticed almost immediately that she was being followed.

She cursed to herself, under her breath. Perhaps L had been suspicious of her earlier, but she didn't think he would have sent someone to follow her so soon. She let her guard down, she realized, and she bit her lip.

Then again, it could just be someone going down the same path as her, she reasoned. She had noticed she was being more antsy about being in public. Then again, that kind of happens when you're running from the police. She had quickly shook the thought from her head. She was never as lucky as that.

So, she did the only thing she knew of that would tell her for sure whether she was being followed or not.

Pausing, the gasped quietly in mock surprise before bending down to tie up her shoelaces. In reality, she was untying and tying it back up again, and she strained her ears to listen.

The footsteps halted- then went back a few steps, most likely to hide behind a wall or some other cover. She cursed, standing back up after finishing her bunny-eared tie, and began walking again- down a different path, of course. She couldn't go to her hotel room, now.

She had already told the lie that she lived in a house with her single father, and had no siblings. Thankfully, before L could ask what her father's name was, Light interjected with some off question about L, and Ruri could sneak away to her next class. However, this doesn't help the fact that now she had to go off somewhere else and possibly shake off the stalker.

As she thought of where to go, she began taking sudden turns, making her way to more public places- each area has more people with every turn she made, and she smiled when the faint steps became overcome with crowded people clambering over each other to get to places. She pushed through the crowd diligently, taking off her black over coat to pull up the blue hoodie attached to her dark blue shirt. Now, if he looked for her head in the crowd, he would not find her.

She made her way out of the crowd quickly, walking calmly until she reached a corner, then breaking out into a full sprint the moment she was around it.

As she made her way into the hotel she'd been staying at, she fought to regain her breath, straining to listen to everything around her.

The receptionist was talking with some people about a room, there was the slight hum of the refrigerator in the lobby which held drinks for a dollar, the sound of a printer somewhere down a floor- but no footsteps. None outside, at least, and she doubts whoever was following her had gone into the hotel before her. She sighed, having gotten her breath back just moments ago, and made her way upstairs. She smiled at the receptionist, a kind old man who couldn't be any younger than fifty, and made her way up to her current room.

So here she lay, on her crisp, clean mattress, legs folded beneath her laid out body, her maths homework all over the floor, and her disposable phone buzzing.

Wait- what?

Ruri jerked up into a sitting position, glancing at the phone on her bed-side table. She furrowed her brows, biting her lip in thought. After a moment of hesitation, she lunged forward, grabbing the simple, grey cellphone in her hands.

She had gotten these disposable flip phones a long while ago, after she decided that she couldn't keep the phone her parents had gotten for her. She had many of them, and threw them out to replace them with another phone every time she moved hotels, when she would then send L a message with a puzzle so when he replied, he would be contacting her through her new phone.

Considering she hadn't changed hotels yet, L still had her current number. She looked down at the phone in surprise and confusion, seeing the I.D. tag as "Law", in which she dubbed him. He was sending her a message? Usually, Ruri was the one to instigate the conversation, send him a puzzle that he would need a few days to work on, and then be gone long before he could figure it out. So why did he decide to change it, today?

Perhaps for the same reason he decided to send someone to follow her today.

He finally decided enough was enough- he was trying to bring her in. Ruri bit her lip in concern- perhaps a bit too hard, as she winced at the metallic taste in her mouth. Running her tongue over the cut to clear the blood, she opened her phone to read the message.

_"Law: You're quiet, Synclair."_

She paused, adjusted her sitting position into something more comfortable, then read the message again.

He's worried because she hasn't sent him a message, yet?

True, she did send him a message every time she changed hotels, which was almost every two to three days, and she hadn't sent him one in almost- she glanced at her calendar- five days, but that wasn't really enough to be cause for concern, was it? Or perhaps there's something else?

After roughly five minutes of messing around with the functions of her phone and even doing some searching on the laptop she had, once again, borrowed from downstairs, she came to the conclusion that there was no second meaning to the message, and no secret message. She huffed, licking over the cut on her lip once more. She cringed as it stung.

Then, after a minute more of thinking of how to proceed, she flipped the phone open once more. She began typing.

_"Synclair: Puzzle,"_

_"Synclair: What belongs to you, but is used more often by others?"_

Ruri didn't bother replying to his first message.

The puzzle was weak, she knew, it definitely wasn't as hard as the others- but she didn't care. She needed to know what he would do next. She kept the phone open for a while longer, almost expecting an immediate response, before laying against the headboard of the bed.

As her phone buzzed silently with another message, she figured out what she would do next.

_"Law: My name."_

If L wouldn't make a move, then she would.

_"Synclair: Correct."_

_"Law: I already know you have my name."_

_"Synclair: But your name isn't the only one I have."_

The phone was silent for a moment. She got up, leaving her phone on the plush bed- she had to admit, if there was one reason she was hesitant to leave this hotel, it'd be how soft the beds were- as she made her way to the joint bathroom to her room.

Turning on the sink, she washed her hands off quickly, her newly found perfectionist personality getting the better of her as she tried to get every speck of dirt from underneath her nails as she thought. She always liked the water, even way back then, and it helped her think if she was having trouble with ideas or motivation. She began cleaning the cut on her lip, next, and sighed. It'd stick out tomorrow, in classes. Light would ask about it. _L would ask about it_.

She turned off the sink, drying her hands quickly and making her way back to her bed. She was careful not to step on her homework as she jumped onto her bed, catching her phone as it bounced into the air from impact. Grasping the phone midair, she read the single worded response L had replied with.

_"Law: Explain."_

She scoffed, laying against the headboard once again as she thought over her response. She began to chew her lip again, but stopped once she felt the cut burn, and scorned herself mentally. She'd have to get over this bad habit of hers, before she "ate herself alive" as Light used to joke. Sighing, she jumped off the bed, the phone still in hand, and began to collect the papers from the ground.

After reorganizing the papers in the correct order, from latest due to due the soonest, she placed them in her black bag, reminding herself to go over them later. Plopping back down onto the plush bed, she began typing her response to the detective.

_"Synclair: I wonder, L,"_

_"Synclair: Just how Near are you to finding me?"_

_"Synclair: Not enough, I'm assuming."_

With the subtle hint to the albino detective's identity, she shut her phone and laid it on her bedside table. Then, laying back once again, she sighed, staring up at the white ceiling fan.

She had a lot of work to do.

* * *

**_((Hopefully this 3,000 word long chapter is good enough for you guys! I'm getting back into the fandom, so I should be typing these up quicker than before! The next chapter should be up in the next two weeks, if not sooner._ **

**_Also, comment with things you hope to see more of(or ideas, like AVuheulA did!) and I'll work on adding them in!_ **

**_Have a nice day/night!))_ **


	18. Chapter 18

**_((Hey! So, quick note: I made a mistake two chapters back. While the exams for To Oh University were on the 17th of January, the actual classes did not start until April! So I kind of just lost a few months of time, oh gosh. Anyway, because of this mistake, I'm changing up the time line- only slightly- to accommodate for the accident and set the time back on track, which means some things will be further in the future(only by a week or two) or some things will be longer than it was in the show(which is good, because it means I can write a bunch of fluff and chapters where they're just hanging out without having to get to the plot! yess). Now, responses to reviews!_ **

**_Jack C TradeIV: Yeah, I wanted to make her mention all three, but then I would have had to find a way to mention chocolate, Near, and video games all at once, and I didn't know how to haha. But L makes the connection some time in this chapter, so don't worry!_ **

**_Max: While I thank you for the effort, I'm afraid it didn't work for me(I made a fake document and attempted the trick on there, to see if it'd work). And thank you, I'll just have to save the document more often u-u_ **

**_Juelelowsss: I know this wasn't fast enough haha, oops!_ **

**_AlexCephon: I was actually wondering that, too! But so far, at this point in time at least, Light doesn't know that she has Shinigami eyes! While he recognizes it's odd to have red eyes, he doesn't quite make the connection until he meets Misa, because while he knows you can get the eyes, he had yet to find out that having the eyes makes your own eyes red. He'll make the connection fairly quickly soon, though(then she'll be in trouble (: )! Plus, I also love to see L squirm(in more way than one huhuhuhu)_ **

**_AVuhuelA: A fanfiction of a fanfiction, hmm? It's okay, I do that often, too! I keep getting ideas of where the story could go differently, and I think about it all day haha._ **

**_Thank you for your reviews, and thank you to everyone else who I couldn't respond to up here! I didn't want the A/N getting TOO long(even tho it already is oops). Anyway, enjoy the chapter!))_ **

* * *

The next day at To-Oh Academy, Ruri was put off guard early in the morning.

Walking into the building in the morning, she made her way into her classroom. Usually she would head to the cafeteria first thing in the morning for breakfast, but she had eaten a quick breakfast of a bagel, fruit, and orange juice in the hotel that morning- they had served breakfast there, and she may or may not have splurged on the fruit they had.

She couldn't help it, honest. What sweets were for L, are fruits for Ruri.

So, she skipped breakfast at school, heading straight to the classroom as most other students went to the cafeteria for food.

As it was very early in the morning, not many people were in the classroom when she arrived. A few students were scattered about the room, a few grouped together and gossiping. She ignored the others and made her way to a desk in the back of the room, sitting away from the others.

As she settled into her seat, beginning to take out her maths homework- she hadn't completed it last night, as she had gone to bed soon after her last message to L- she heard a chair scraping against the floor. Pausing, she huffed, thinking it was Light, and turned to greet the teenage boy.

Only to pause and stiffen as L's wide eyes locked with hers, less than three inches away from her own. She gasped, leaning back to regain her personal space. He leaned forward, but not enough to make her any more uncomfortable. He was sitting atop the chair in his usual perch, one hand gripping his knee until his knuckles turned white, the other hand pulled up to bite on the end of his thumb nail.

He said nothing, simply staring right into Ruri's eyes. Ruri stared back, eyes flickering between his as she tried to think of what he was doing. He usually sat with Light, and even when he wasn't, he never sat so close with her.

"Ryuga?" Ruri spoke, voice quiet. She cleared her throat, then spoke again, "What are you.. doing?"

"How many languages can you speak?" He asked, ignoring her question, and leaning forward another inch. She tried to move back again, but nearly fell out of her chair when she attempted to scoot away another inch. She stayed still as L leaned in another inch after she had not answered. He repeated his question.

"How many language can you speak?"

"I-" Ruri's brows furrowed. "I don't know, why?"

"You don't know how many language you can speak?"

Ruri bit her lip, thinking. "Uh- three. Or, well, two, and I know a bit of a third. Why?" She answered.

"Which ones?" He asked without pause, ignoring her inquiry.

"Japanese, English, and a little bit of German."

He didn't speak for a moment, eyes glancing back and forth between her own red orbs as he thought of what to say next. A moment of silence went by, and as Ruri opened her mouth to speak, to ask why he was asking such questions, he spoke once more.

"Why are your eyes red?"

She blinked, mouth still open just slightly as she paused. She pursed her lips, thinking through an appropriate answer.

"I," she shrugged, "Don't know. I was just born with it, I guess?"

His eyes narrowed.

"You guess?" He asked, his voice a low murmur, as if he were speaking to himself. Another moment of silence. His jaw clenched, and he lowered his thumb nail to stuff his hand into his pocket, before standing up front the chair and sliding it back into place in the desk next to her. He sits there, in the same odd perch as before, his eyes focused on the front of the room.

Ruri doesn't move for a moment, eyes wide as she stared at the profile of the detective in front of her. She blinks once, before sighing and sitting back in her seat.

"Really, though, what were the questions for?" She asks, staring at him still. He hums, turning to look at her for a moment before staring back at the front of the classroom.

"No reason."

Her eye twitched.

Yet before she could shout at him on how rude it was to get into her personal space, ask personal questions, and then sit back down as if they were nothing, then _tell her they were nothing_ , a new voice speaks up.

"Good morning, Aya-chan," Light spoke, smiling at the young girl.

Ruri cursed his existence, really.

"Ah, good morning, Light-kun!" Ruri spoke politely, smiling as someone would when speaking to a crush- with an obnoxious tone to her voice and a slight waver as she spoke his name. She even _blushed_. Ruri really had to give her acting credit, she was great at it.

Light almost laughed at it, though, before he took a seat to her left. Great. L and Light were sandwiching themselves on either side of her, and she couldn't help but feel cornered like an animal.

* * *

The rest of the school day went by fairly quickly, although she was definitely put on her guard by L's sudden attitude and curious questions.

Of course, they made sense. If L really did think Ruri was Synclair, then of course he would be worried, considering their conversation the other night. Her probably was put on guard, like she was. She almost wanted to hit her head. She only said that the other night because she was tired and curious, and she had no patience for his odd behavior. Now she regrets it.

If L thinks that she knows the names of not only him, but also his successors- which she does-, and also thinks that Synclair may know who Kira is- which, haha, _she does_ -, then he has every right to try and break her down, trying to figure out who she really was.

Unfortunately for him, she knew how to hide fairly well. After all, she'd been doing it all her life.

She clenched her hands at the thought, staring straight ahead as she waited in the school corridor for Light and L. L had already finished his paperwork, but was waiting for Light. Light was almost finished with his work, but he had to stay behind for about ten minutes after class to talk with the teacher- L may or may not have made the teenager angry, and the teacher caught Light talking to L, telling him to stay behind after class so they could talk-, and Ruri decided she would wait out here for him.

The idea of going back to her empty hotel room alone wasn't very appealing for her, so she decided to hang out with him for a while before going back.

Which, honestly, surprised her the moment she came to that conclusion.

Ruri had always been perfectly fine with being alone, ever since childhood she had always worked alone and avoided being around other people- not that she really had any choice before, but you get the point. The idea that she would suddenly hate to be alone surprised her, and, honestly, worried her just the slightest bit.

She was attached.

She was getting attached to Light, and, now that she thought about it, she was practically attached to L as well.

Ruri groaned quietly, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor with her knees hugging her chest securely, as if it would protect her from this world, from these _emotions_.

She couldn't get attached to them! They were going to die- _both of them_ , so she was just condemning herself to be swallowed up by grief and sadness when they'd die. She knew the day they'd die, she knew how they would die- she knew that they _will_ die. It's been set. It's destined. How could she have allowed herself to get so attached to these two boys? One of them was a mass murdering criminal, and the other was a world renowned detective. They were both hell bent on catching each other- and they were both just using her.

She's no idiot. She knows when she's being used for someone else's greater good. Light just wants her creative mind to help him catch L, and L just wants to use her to get to Kira.

Somehow, the idea of them using her is more comforting than the idea of them actually liking her.

She knows this isn't right.

"What are you thinking about?"

Ruri blinked. Looking in front of her from her spot on the ground, was L, crouched down in front of her with his hands on his knees. He was inches away from her, as per usual. She didn't even bother to pretend to be shocked, or to tell him to mind her personal space.

"Nothing in particular," she mumbles, tracing a pattern on her knee. She notices how similar their positions are. Sure, Ruri isn't squatting like L is, but she does have her hands gripping her knees, which are securely tucked into her chest. She wonders if maybe L feels comfortable in this position. Perhaps he feels protected when he does this, as if he were protecting himself. Ruri does.

L leans forward on his feet, enough to make their knees bump into each other. He was practically leaning against her as he looked into her eyes. She continued looking at her black pants, not daring to meet his eyes. She doesn't feel very safe anymore.

"You're spaced out," L intones. Really, Ruri could laugh at him using the term 'spaced out'- it honestly just didn't sound like something he'd say.

"Mm," Ruri mumbles. She doesn't bother looking up or answering him. She shuffled her feet, trying to pull her knees in closer to herself. L shifts and falls forward, still pressed against her knees, and stares quietly.

Ruri looked down at her nails, wondering when they had gotten so dirty. Mother would beat her for not keeping up appearances.

She freezes, her eyes widening slightly as her blood runs cold.

Where the hell had that thought come from? She hadn't seen nor heard of Mother since, well... since arriving here... how many years ago was it? Ruri can't remember the date of when she arrived, but that didn't matter much to her. She considered this world to be her true home, not the place where she was born.

But on that aspect, what did she consider the others to be to her?

She had a family before- her father- so she knows what a family is supposed to be. Aki and his parents are her family, she knows this. She loves them. She'd protect them with her life, she has no doubt about this or about how she feels for them.

She's never had a friend before. She doesn't know what one should expect from a friend. Is Light a friend? Is... is L a friend?

She's being used by both of them. One of them wants to use her to catch and kill the other, then perhaps he'd want to kill her once she outlived his purpose. The other wants to use her to catch and imprison the first one, and imprison her as well. She's useful to them now, but what will become of her when she outlives her purposes?

She pulls her knees closer to herself, if at all possible. At this point she was simply compressing herself to become small- to become insignificant and to fade away. She had been so used to being alone, to being unnoticed, that she can't handle the way she has so much attention now.

At one point, Ruri registers the fact that L had just spoken up about something.

She slowly looks up at the speaker, looking into his eyes. L seems taken aback, leaning away and eyes widening a fraction as he lowers his thumb. Ruri blinks. She smiles.

"Sorry, what? I guess you were right, I did kind of space out, haha," She speaks, uncurling her body just slightly and forcing herself to relax. L blinks once.

"Are you having a staring contest?" A new voice speaks. Ruri glances over at the speaker, pretending not to notice the fact that L has yet to look away from her.

"Very funny, Light-kun," Ruri mocks. She really couldn't bring herself to blush this time, but she doubted that mattered. Light scoffs.

"Come on, let's go, Mom'll get upset if I'm late getting home."

Ruri nods her head, a happy "mm!" escaping her lips as she stands. She walks to Light's side, glancing back at L. He was still, staring at the spot she used to be sitting in, eyes narrowed and his thumb caught between his teeth. He looked as if he were ready to just bite the finger off his hand, then and there.

"Are you coming, Ryuga?"

He stands up without a word, walking past the two quietly. Light stares at his retreating back questionably, but ultimately shrugs and walks ahead. Ruri furrows her brow, but follows the lead and walks by Light's side.

* * *

L was really having a hard time believing what had just happened. Or, rather, he supposed not. It would have had to happen at one point or another, really, but he had doubted it'd be so soon.

She cracked.

She's cracked, and L saw who she really was, in that split second.

"Are you okay, Aya?" He had spoken, though there was no trace of worry in his tone. He knew she was fine. She was contemplating something, thinking very heavily on a subject he couldn't place. Her grip on her knees only tightened, and he thought she could perhaps tear through her pants if she really tried.

She didn't even blink as she slowly lifted her head to look him in the eyes. The action itself put him off. This girl had been nothing but rambunctious and excitable since the moment he had met her, with the occasional shy expression whenever Light came around, but excitable nonetheless. This slow movement with no expression... _scared_ him, to say the least.

The look in her eyes scared him even more. Or, rather, the lack of a look. Her eyes were empty. The ruby orbs that usually shone with expression, were blank. From what L had gained from this girl was how expressive her eyes are. Every emotion she was feeling, every trick she had up her sleeve, were almost always displayed through her eyes- but this time, they were blank. There was nothing in her. He had the feeling she wasn't even looking at him- she was looking through him, _past_ him. Her eyes were empty.

She was empty.

Then she blinked, and it was gone as quick as it appeared. She smiled- a fake smile, he was entirely certain of that, now- and spoke.

It was only a split second, sure, but he learned more of her in that split second than he had since the day he saw her in the school's testing room.

* * *

**_((Duh, duh, duuuuh! So we finally get to see into L's mind once more! I gotta say, it's incredibly hard to write for him! I decided against writing of his own opinions on the girl at the moment- those will come in at a later time, but we got to see something!_ **

**_So, L finally knows what's up! Not really. He has no idea what's really going on, but he finally knows for sure she's lying about who she was. Which means now he's gonna try and find out who she really is! Wowie!_ **

**_Also Light! Stop! Interrupting! Ruriet time! You serial killer asshole. He's totally jealous. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed!_ **

**_How does L feel about Ruri? How does Light feel about Ruri? Is L getting close to finding out her identity? Is Beyond every going to stop being a bitch and show up already? And finally, are you a Ruriet(Ruri/L) shipper or a Right(Ruri/Light) shipper? Answer these questions in the comments! Ciao!))_ **


	19. Chapter 19

_**((Hey! So sorry about the delay, but my Windows file got corrupted in a black out during a bad storm, so not only did we have to wait until we could get a replacement computer and windows file for me to work, but when I got it running I found out that I lost ALL of my previous work(which was almost three chapters ahead, too). Anyway, I finally fixed it and now I'm here to update again! I swear, I'm just bad luck considering how often I lose my chapters haha :') Anyway, responses to reviews:** _

_**xFarxAwayx- Please don't die, I have more chapters for you to read first!** _

_**Saraze- I tried that one, too. I guess none of these cool hacks are gonna work for me, eh? And, yeah, Light and BB are rather popular, aren't they? And L will be fine!... for now. (:** _

_**VampireSiren- Actually! I did my research on this story of mine, and it is possible to die in her condition. You'd have to take into account that she's underfed, malnourished, not getting enough sleep, and regularly abused on an almost daily basis. Her body was on the brink of death already- the fact that she ran through the forest as fast as she could without stopping once even though her wounds kept reopening was just the final push to get her there. I hope this changes your mind!** _

_**Thank you to everyone else, as well! They were mostly just saying "update soon" or "good job", so I won't be talking to each and every one of you, but know that I read every single one and they make me smile like a dork!** _

_**Also, one more thing- remember how I said I wouldn't be focusing on the main plot line for a while, because I accidentally moved the time line a few months ahead? Well, this little arc starts here! For now until at least chapter 25, they won't be main plot chapters, but mostly the main characters getting to know each other, as well as a few things setting up for the future plot scenes. So, I'll be calling this the "Info Arc", as we learn more about each of the characters and their emotions and thoughts.** _

_**This chapter is dedicated to Ruri, delving into her mindset and how she processes day to day things! Also, there is a bit more information about Ruri in the A/N at the bottom, so make sure to read that! I hope you enjoy!))** _

* * *

Ruri sleeps in the next morning. School was off for the day, and she was fully intent to use this to her every advantage. Sleeping in was one of the many things she planned to do- or, rather, she hadn't _planned_ sleeping in, exactly. She hadn't really planned anything today. She was mostly winging it.

So, when she woke up at nine o'clock in the morning, she took her sweet time getting ready for the day. She brushed her teeth with her favorite purple toothbrush- she had grown attached to the small item-, then took a very long, very hot shower. Then she ate a full breakfast of a fruit salad, eggs with bacon, a piece of toast, and a glass of orange juice.

"Would you like some coffee, miss Aiko?" A hotel server asked. Ruri had decided against using her current alias of Kameko Aya, as it would have been beyond easy to simply search her- fake- name and see how she had been staying in a hotel. Then the questions would get worse.

Ruri quickly swallowed the chunk of egg in her mouth, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. Manners be damned.

"No, thank you," Ruri flashed a disarming smile toward the young man, and he smiled back before bowing and walking off.

Ruri had never really liked coffee before, and she certainly didn't like it now. Honestly, she didn't see what L liked so much in the bitter drink. It was disgusting. Perhaps that was why he added so much sugar and creamer, then. She hummed at her own train of thought, grinning as she continued eating her breakfast.

In five minutes, she was out the door.

Clutching her water bottle filled with Gatorade- or the Japanese equivalent to it, she supposes-, she inhaled a large breath as she looked up at the bright daylight. The sky was a vibrant blue, with a handful of clouds here and there. It didn't look like it was going to rain.

She took an umbrella anyway.

Walking down the sidewalk, she began humming an unnameable tune to herself as she secured her dark grey beanie on her head, over her messy black hair. She really should be getting a hair cut, and soon, as her hair was almost past her shoulders by now. She sighed as she began walking in a familiar location. A haircut it is.

As she walked, she took in the many sights around her, though tinted through her sunglasses they were a bit harder to make out, especially the colors. It was worth it. She'd rather avoid the unnecessary attention that her eyes usually attracted for her.

The door bell jingled as she opened the bright blue door, and the first thing she noticed was the blast of cool air. She smiled. The barber shop was filled with customers, mostly young women, and she was certain she could probably name a few from her classes. Ruri supposes she wasn't the only one taking this day off to relax.

"Welcome, welcome!" An elderly lady at the front of the store grinned at Ruri, shuffling toward her on short legs, stopping right in front of her. As she began pulling the teenage girl toward a chair, she began chatting away happily in Japanese.

"Oh, we have been waiting for you, miss Rae! You have been gone so long we almost assumed you found elsewhere to cut your hair!"

Ruri put a hand to her chest mockingly as she was pushed into a swivel chair, gasping dramatically as she spoke, "Who? Me? Why, I never! I would never go behind your back like that, Misuki!"

Misuki, the elderly woman, tutted at the girl as she spun the chair around, making a face at her sarcasm. Ruri grabbed onto the chair's arms, laughing.

"Besides, it's not like I could find anyone who cuts hair as well as you," Ruri winked.

Misuki grinned and tore off Ruri's beanie, patting down the mess. "You flirt."

"I'm a flirt with hair way too long for my own good."

"I'll say!" Misuki began combing through Ruri's hair, ignoring the girl's protests at every tangle that the comb caught in its' brushes. "Your hair is not only too long, but a rat's nest!"

Another barber spoke up from a few chairs away, "That's every day!"

The room erupted into laughter, and Ruri smiled, ignoring the small pit of dread that she felt. They think they know her. They think they can trust her. They were comfortable with her, and she was comfortable with them. That wasn't good. She's not supposed to be comfortable with anyone. Being comfortable means putting her guard down, and if that happened, she's be betrayed.

Her smile became forced.

"Oh don't worry about Yuki, she's only kidding," Misuki cooed as she picked up a pair of scissors from the side.

"Yeah," Ruri mumbled. She didn't nod as Misuki began cutting her hair.

She held herself back from flinching every time she heard the scissors snip shut, cutting off a piece of herself with every sharp movement.

_Like whips._

She gripped the arm chairs, digging her fingers into the worn out leather. They were cold.

_Whips with sharp edges, coated in red. Coated in blood. In her blood._

She faintly heard the noise of the barber shop. People were talking, she could hear. Three girls leaned in to whisper to each other, frowning or laughing at the gossip they caught.

_Whispering about her. They were insulting her, pitying her._

She looked into the mirror, into her own eyes. They seemed to almost glow bright, even behind the shades.

_Bright red. Blood. She was bleeding. She was crying, now, too. Where had all this blood come from?_

_She screamed as cold metal slashed across her back suddenly. A whip. A metal edged whip. Sharp. Sharp and coated in red. In blood. Her blood. She was bleeding. So much blood. She could hear the sound of the whip cracking as her Mother pulled it up into the air, readying for another strike._

_"Repent! Beg for forgiveness!" Her voice echoes in her head._

_"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry! Please, f-forgive me!" A girl screamed, crying as she stumbled through her words- stumbled through the pain. Who was this girl?_

_She was no one._

"All finished!"

Ruri inhaled sharply at the sound of the old woman's voice tittering excitedly. She glanced around the room, eyes wide as she took in the scene.

Misuki smiled at her genuinely. The other stylists talked with each other as they cut the hair of whoever was paying them this day. The group of teenage girls laughed with each other over whatever gossip they could hear. Everything was the same.

_No. Nothing will ever be the same._

* * *

She was bored. So, so very bored.

The snow had cleared up ages ago, and though the sun shone bright in the sky, it was still a bit chilly, especially this early in the morning. The ground was just slightly damp with leftover rain from a few nights before, it made squishing noises with every step she took.

Ruri sighed, propping her head into the crook of her hand as she rested her elbow on the table before her, blowing a few stray strands out of her face. Misuki had done a good job with her hair, it was just as short as before, and though it was still messy, it was a stylized messy- one that looked good on her, if she dare say so herself.

"What's wrong?"

She tilted her head, glancing at the girl who spoke, sitting right in front of her, looking at her oddly. Her long blond hair bobbed with the movement of her tilting her hair curiously, her fake eyelashes fluttering softly as she blinked.

Ruri grinned. "Oh, nothing. I was just thinking, is all."

The blond girl in front of her stilled, blinked once, then smiled, nodding her head once with a simple, "Un."

Smiling, the blackette simply looked back out the window, glancing at every passing car.

She was out with a friend, she reminded herself, she should be focusing on the girl, not on the outside.

Ruri honestly hadn't planned on going out with some friends from school- or, rather, people who called though of her as a friend, as Ruri had only one friend, as far as she was concerned, and he was a mass murderer-, but when she noticed the cloaked figure watching her from a distance, she couldn't help but agree when the girl had approached her a few days before, right after school, and had asked her to come with her and a group of her friends to a small coffee shop that had opened rather recently.

The blond girl's friends had yet to arrive, and so, Ruri was stuck with this over talkative woman of whom she didn't even know the name of.

"I'm so glad you decided to come along with us!" _Not like I had a choice._ "My friends will just love you! You're so pretty, you know! Have you ever modeled before? I'm sure you'd be great at it! Your eyes would only make you an even more unique modeler, too! Ang you're so smart, like, _wow_! I gotta wonder how you haven't gotten the highest scores yet, anyway, haha!" _I didn't really have a choice in that one, either._ "Hey, have we traded phone numbers yet?"

Ruri wordlessly fished her flip phone from her front pocket, handing it over to the excited blond as she looked up at the clouds. Grey and heavy. She was right to bring an umbrella, as it looked as though it was going to rain- and soon.

The blond practically giggled as she snatched the small device, then frowned as she shifted through the contents.

"You have, like, no names on here! Only 'Law' and 'Dark'. What kind of names are those, anyway?" _Code names for L and Light_. "Why don't you have any more contacts?"

"I don't have any friends." That was a lie. Kind of.

The blond girl 'awwe'd and cooed at Ruri, and the young girl felt as if she had just made a grave mistake.

"Well, now you have lots of friends! Including me!" She began typing something into her phone. Once done, she handed it over. Ruri blinked at the sudden list full of contacts. Where had they all come from?

"Who-" Ruri began, but couldn't get even two words in before the blond was bubbling more words out of her bright cherry red lips.

"Those are all your new friends, silly! There's Natsumi, Nayoko, Ryoko, Sorano, and, of course, me!" The girl rolled her eyes and grinned a fake smile when she mentioned herself, as if it was obvious, and _of course_ she was going to add herself and her girl friends numbers into her disposable flip phone. She would forget all of these sooner or later. She would perhaps never go on a "friend date" with them again either.

Going down the list, the only name left had to have been the blond woman's name. Yuke Rini. Little dream bunny. Of course she'd be named after something so girlish and ridiculous.

"Okay."

Nearly five more minutes and the other 'friends' began showing up, one by one, giving their fake excuses as to why they were late and what they were doing, _one by one_.

Filing into the booths, Ruri was pushed against the window as two girls sat beside her. She scooted away from the girl as far as she could, hoping to escape the skin contact the girl was forcing upon her, but she mistook this as Ruri being kind enough to make more room for her, as she smiled and scooted closer. Ruri was pressed against the window and the girl. Ruri felt trapped.

She squinted her eyes.

No, she felt as if she had been led _into_ a trap.

She never should have said yes. Pressure can make one do ridiculous things.

Pressure and fear.

..Was she afraid? What was she afraid of, though? L? No, she wasn't afraid of the detective. She didn't believe he would do anything to her, he wouldn't do anything out of bounds. He knows her by now. He wouldn't hurt her.

Her breath hitched in her throat.

 _No._ He _thinks_ he knows her. Of course he would hurt her. She couldn't trust him, just as he didn't trust her. There was no one to trust here- nobody but Light.

Unless he couldn't be trusted either.

He could turn on her in a second. If she outlived her purpose- _when she outlived her purpose_ \- he would turn around and dispose of her like garbage. Like nothing more than disposable trash. He would try to kill her. She couldn't be killed. No, not physically, at least. She would live.

That was the worst part.

She wasn't entirely sure she would want to live, if Light ended up turning against her. If he tried to kill her, she might just take her own life. She wouldn't be able to live with the thought that the one person she trusted would try to kill her, that he would want her dead.

Did he want her dead? What about right this second? Was he plotting her death already? Was she nothing more than a toy for him to use until broken? Did Ryuk tell him about her? No, Light hadn't acted out of place the last time they met, so it was obvious that Ryuk hadn't told him about her, about her eyes or about her immune abilities against the Death Note. Good. He could be trusted, then.

Couldn't he? No.

Ryuk couldn't be trusted either. If he was willing to turn on Light, he was willing to turn on her in a moment's notice. Especially if she planned on stopping Light from this path of destruction he has began traveling on.

"Isn't that right, Aya-chan?"

She blinked.

Turning in her seat, she glanced at whoever had spoken. One of Rini's friends, Ryoko, had spoken, and was staring at her, expecting an answer. No, all of the girls were staring at her. She felt cornered.

"Eh, what?" She asked dumbly, plastering a fake smile on her face as she pretended to be abashed. "Sorry, I guess I zoned out!"

The girls laughed- _they were laughing at her_ \- before one of them spoke up, and Ruri didn't even bother trying to remember this girl's name.

"She asked if you had a boy you liked!"

Black hair came to mind.

She sat up. "Eh?" The girls giggled again, suddenly getting into her personal space. They cooed and made taunting noises, wiggling their fingers at her and asking questions faster than she could process them.

" _What's he look like?_ "

" _Does he have any talents?"_

_"How old is he?"_

_"Do we know him?"_

She stared at their expectant faces, worry building up inside her. What does she say to them?

"No, there's nobody that I like."

* * *

Ruri walked aimlessly, searching but not really looking. She sighed.

It was nearly past 9 p.m., and she was beginning to get tired. She carried a simple bag of groceries in her hand, nothing more than a few snacks as well as a small bottle of coconut shampoo. The hotel's shampoo was fine, but it smelled fake and had a hint of a machinery smell to it. Besides, she liked her hair to smell like coconut. She liked the smell of it.

Walking through the front doors of the hotel she was staying in- after almost an hour and a half of losing the guy tailing her, of course- she nodded to the woman at the front desk, a smile coming to her lips. The woman smiled back, and Ruri turned back forwards, trying to ignore the fuzzy feeling in her chest. It was always nice to get a smile from a pretty girl.

After climbing up the many stairs to her bedroom- she was terrified of using an elevator. They were dark and cold and cramped, and it reminded her far too much of a small, metal box that her Mother had often used as punishment for her- she closed the door with the heel of her shoe and collapsed on the bed, the bag of snacks and shampoo lay forgotten next to her.

Her phone went off.

She hummed, then sighed. She loved chatting with L, really, but she had no puzzles ready for him at the moment. She had been far too busy with her schoolwork and studying to really pay attention to him.

So she grumbled to herself about the detective being an impatient shit, then rolled over onto her back and picked her phone out of her front pocket.

Imagine her surprise when it turned out it wasn't L.

_"Yuke Rini: hey girl!"_

She honestly couldn't tell if this was better or worse.

_"Yuke Rini: the gang and i are going on a shopping trip into a mall in town later this week. wanna come w/?"_

No, not really.

_"Kameko Aya: Sure! Sounds like fun!"_

She hated herself.

She sighed as Rini began talking all about this shopping district they would be going to, and how she would just _''love, love, love''_ it. She plopped her phone back down, ignoring the buzz that went off almost every five seconds from her new "friend".

Yes, she doubted she would remember any of their names. She definitely didn't want to go back on any "exciting" trips with them.

 _Though_ , Ruri glanced down at the phone, _I suppose they aren't all that bad._

* * *

_**((And that concludes chapter one of the Info Arc! I hope you liked it (:** _

_**So! A little bit more info about Ruri.** _

_**I don't know if I've made it obvious enough or not yet, but I always imagined Ruri to be pansexual and demi-romantic. If you don't know, demi romantic means that you would only really fall in love with someone after a strong emotional bond is created. This may or may not be important later on (;** _

_**Also, Ruri is not right in the head. You should know this by now. She should probably go see a psychiatrist and see what kind of meds she should be on, but oh well, right? I'm kind of a dick author 8^) I imagine she definitely has bipolar disorder, as well as obsessive compulsive disorder, and she especially has some serious trust and abandonment issues to the point where the only person she thinks she can trust in this world is Light, and she isn't even entirely sure on that, either! This all is important later on in the story.** _

_**For anyone who's curious on when BB comes in, don't worry! I plan on introducing him somewhere in this arc, so expect him in the next few chapters!** _

_**Answer the following questions to get a sneak peak into the next chapter: What do you think Ruri's favorite color is? How do you think BB will introduce himself to Ruri? Do you think L is getting nervous, now that he knows that she knows? And finally, what the hell has Light been up to these past chapters? Just what. is. he. planning!?** _

_**Good bye!))** _


	20. Chapter 20

Nearly two weeks and a half had gone by since her last shopping trip with her new 'friend'. Yes, Ruri would perhaps consider Rini to be a friend, even if she sometimes couldn't stand the girl or couldn't comprehend what made her act the way she did. It had been a startling realization, when she became worried after Rini had gotten hurt on her way home one night.

 

Rini had been out late, just taking a late stroll, when she realized she stayed out much later than she had meant to. While trying to get home, she was cornered by a man with a knife, telling her to give him all of her money.

 

“It was terrible, Aya-chan!” She had cried into Ruri's shoulder when the young girl had visited her at her home later the next day. Rini had pulled her in close, nearly crushing her with the weight she was putting on her upper body as she sobbed into Ruri's clothing and hair. “He had a crazed look in his eye and he was shouting at me, and I just-- I was so scared!” Ruri had willingly let the older girl hug her close, even when she grimaced, realizing she would have to wash her hair later when she got back home.

 

But when Ruri realized that she cared for the girl and was genuinely happy to see her alive and well, she didn't know what to do with herself for a while. She had biked herself home in a daze-- 'home' being a small, ruddy apartment she was living in for a while now. After Rini began taking her shopping almost weekly, Ruri realized she needed somewhere to put all of her things. After much consideration, weighing the pros and cons, she decided to buy a small place for a while. Good enough that she wouldn't need to move around every night, but small enough that she could leave in a moment's notice if she needed to.

 

Rini had nearly screamed when she saw the rundown condition of the place, but Ruri convinced her that this place was her 'home', that she and her family had lived there for a while and they loved it just the way it was, and Rini had reluctantly let it be. Mostly. She did pay for new paints for Ruri to paint the entire apartment to her liking, which Ruri was happier for than she was willing to admit.

 

Now, five days after Rini had sobbed her heart out into Ruri's hair, Ruri lay back in her bead, facing the ceiling contentedly.

 

She brought a hand up, raking it through her black hair slowly. It was much longer now. Before, she had kept it short enough to just barely tuck behind her ears, but now, it reached to her shoulders. She was still at odds whether or not she was willing to cut it short again, or take a chance at growing it longer. Although she had, admittedly, gotten a little attached to this mid-length style she had had for a week now.

 

She sighed silently, turning her head to glance at the various new outfits and items that she had collected over the short period of time she had met Rini. She almost felt bad for the girl-- she cared for her, she really did, and she never intends on using her for anything other than companionship, but she was worried about the future, and what it may hold for her new friend.

 

Ruri was not in any way delusional. She was perfectly aware that this peace and happiness she felt would not last long. Hell, she was honestly surprised it had lasted this long already. L seemed to be 'leaving her alone' for now, focusing intently on Light at school, only sometimes bothering to ask her a few questions or getting into her personal space like he did so often back then. It was one of the reasons she had felt so sure about getting an apartment room in the first place, because she felt as if some of the tension on her shoulders had eased off when L stopped paying so much attention to her. Admittedly, she also felt a little upset that L was not paying much attention to her, but she convinced herself it was just because she thought their game of hide and seek was fun, nothing else. Nothing else needed to be there.

 

But then again....

 

She shut her eyes, one hand still in her mussed up hair, as she turned her head to face the small fan on her bedside table, blowing warm air into her face. The weather had warmed up much more than she expected it to, and while she was kind of glad that the cold was gone, she hated this heat with a burning passion.

 

Her phone rung in her front pocket, and Ruri let it ring for a moment, the heat making her too lazy to want to get up and do anything. If it was ringing, it was either Rini or Light, and if it was Light, he would be calling her to ask her to go with him somewhere. If it was Rini, she could be calling to ask her to go with her somewhere....

 

Finally, she sighed heavily, digging her phone out of her pocket, flipping it open, not bothering to look at the caller ID as she answered in a groggy voice,

 

“Hello?”

 

“ _Synclair_.”

 

Ruri's eyes shot open, and she could swear she could feel her heart thumping in her chest for a moment as her red eyes stared up at the ceiling. She was silent for a long while, just breathing there, staring up at the ceiling without really seeing it, a million thoughts running through her mind a minute as she tried to guess why in the hell L had her phone number, why he was calling her. What he wanted.

 

“ _I know you're on the other side_ ,” he spoke, his voice as even and monotone as it always was, although there was a slight tint to it that was unfamiliar to her. She couldn't quite place what it was. Finally, she licked her lips, before responding,

 

“Yeah, hey,” she muttered. She wanted to slap herself. A world renowned genius detective calls her on her private phone, and she simply responds with a weak 'hey'. _Idiot_.

 

“ _You didn't expect me to call you?_ ” He intones. Although his voice portrays it as a question, it was more of a statement. He knew she was shocked, knew she hadn't anticipated this.

 

Her heart was hammering against her ribcage painfully, and she could have sworn she had laid in that dingy apartment room for hours, when in actuality it was simply seconds before she could bring herself to respond. Suddenly, a calming sensation came over her, and she felt much more sure of herself as she got back into her old self. She had a reputation as Synclair to keep up.

 

“You just couldn't keep away, huh?” She asked in a happy voice, a slight mocking tone to the question. She grinned behind the phone. Yes, Ruri was gone, Synclair was awake now. “I know I'm irresistible.”

 

There was only a split second hesitation on the other side of the phone before L spoke up again, “ _That is not why I called you_.” Ruri couldn't help but notice the subtle urgency in his voice, and she nearly giggled when she began thinking of why he felt the need to defend his actions in that instance.

 

“Oh? Well, then, why exactly _did_ you call me, L?”

 

“ _I would appreciate it if you did not refer to me as my alias while on the phone_.”

 

“Oh, come on. Are you telling me you don't keep your phone completely untraceable? Because that, my friend, I find hard to believe.”

 

“ _We are not friends,_ ”

 

Ruri made a faint pouting noise on her side of the phone before she allowed him to continue.

 

“ _I believed my contacts were untraceable. Until you got my phone number, which I still await an explanation for._ ”

 

“One that will never come.”

 

“ _I thought as much_.”

 

She smiled briefly.

 

“Tell me, then, why are you calling me? I find it hard to believe you just wanted to stop by and say hello. Don't get me wrong, I'm flattered, but I'm kind of busy.”

 

When L didn't respond immediately, the grin was wiped from Ruri's face. She could hear him take a sharp intake of breath on the other end, and then she was worried. She felt a sliver of doubt go down her spine as she sat up in her bed, crossing her legs as she awaited his response. Finally, after what felt like forever, he spoke up again, in a much quieter tone, almost out of shame,

 

“ _I need your help_.”

 

Unlike what she thought she would have done in any given situation such as the one she found herself in, she did not freeze and take the time to think what he had said through. Instead, she did the complete opposite of what she hoped she would be like if ever this had happened.

 

She burst out laughing.

 

Clutching the side of her stomach with her one free hand, she laughed long and hard at the words he had spoken to her. She was vaguely aware of the fact that he was trying to speak to her, most likely trying to reign in his embarrassment about having to ask his enemy for help, which, in hindsight, probably meant it was something super important and serious, but she didn't care at the moment. She laughed until tears were leaking from the corner of her eyes, and she fell back against her bed.

 

“You--- _You_? Needing m- _my help_??” She just barely muttered out before bursting out into laughter again, nearly painfully doubling over. This had, unintentionally, caused her to roll over and fall off the side of her bed. She sat up on her knees, bracing one hand against the ground as she let out another fit of laughter. She really didn't know why she found it so funny, but she did.

 

“ _It isn't funny. I require your assistance._ ”

 

“Changing the way you say it doesn't make what you said any different!” She ground out.

 

In hindsight, she would, once again, realize that this was no situation to be laughing at. Not with a man of his stature asking a girl of her reputation for assistance. Especially not with the words he spoke next.

 

“ _An old colleague is---_ ”

 

Suddenly, her phone cut off. Ruri had stopped laughing a second ago, now only in fits of giggles, but as she stared at the carpet below her, she was dumbly aware of the fact that her floor seemed a lot darker than it was moments before, before she was suddenly aware that her apartment power had been cut off as well. She pulled her phone back from her ear, staring at it silently, all traces of amusement gone from her features as suspicion and paranoia crept into her heart. Was this a joke? Was L messing with her? What was he saying, a colleague? A colleague is what?

 

She stood up then, holding her phone firmly in her hand. Her entire apartment was in pitch black darkness now, and she couldn't help herself as she began to look back and forth, her eyes wide as she tried to adjust to the darkness.

 

What the hell was going on?

 

* * *

 

 

He had been very embarrassed when she began laughing at him, at loud, without trying to reign her amusement in or hide it in any way. Yes, L was fully aware of what he was asking of her, but this was of the utmost importance. Although, admittedly, her full blown amusement at the situation had pulled out his childish side, and he had immediately begun having doubts.

 

Then, remembering the things she was capable of doing, he had doubts about his doubts. If he wanted her help-- which, as he tried to persuade her to shut up, he wasn't entirely sure he did want it anymore-- he would have to deal with her immature side. He'd just be immature back. Because that was the mature thing to do.

 

However, when the phone cut off, he had frozen in his spot. He hadn't moved for a moment, but Watari, his closest comrade and most trusted ally, had creased his brow in worry when he had seen the way L's toes curled tight enough around the edge of the couch he sat in that they turned white, and the way that his two fingers holding up the now dead phone began to shake just slightly.

 

This was no coincidence.

 

“Watari,” L intoned without taking his wide, dark eyes off of the coffee table in front of him, holding several assorted sweets in no particular pattern. Watari had immediately jumped to L's side, eager to help ease the young man's worry in any way he could.

 

“Yes, Ryuzaki?” He asked, his voice as quiet and gentle as ever, even in this pressing situation.

 

“Grab a vehicle, be discreet, and go recruit Synclair, please. I believe she may be in trouble.”

 

Watari was surprised at his confession, but nodded without hesitation and jumped into action, rushing down to grab a quick, but discreet vehicle, to L's asking. He knew better than to question L's methods by now, especially if someone as bright and young as this Synclair character was, was in trouble. Watari, personally, didn't know the girl, but he knew she took up much of L's time, both when he was present or when he was away. He commonly told others that his primary focus was on Light, the prime Kira suspect, but Watari had known L long enough to know the truth.

 

And now her life was in danger, if L's hunch was right.

 

And they always were.

 

* * *

 

 

Ruri cursed under her breath as she stepped on something solid, nearly breaking her pinkie toe in the process. It was dark outside, so pulling back the curtains had done nothing to help her situation, but she had tried nonetheless. She had been ambling around her small apartment for a few minutes now, after she had finally convinced her shocked body to move, to get away, to get out, to do _something_ other than sit there like an idiot. It took a while, but she finally got up from her position frozen in her bedroom, and began shuffling her way across her small home as best as she could in the pitch darkness.

 

Before, she had always thought that her cozy little home was just that-- cozy and little. Now, in the darkness and without her sight, she couldn't help but hate how large it seemed when she couldn't see where she was going.

 

She hissed to herself when she hit her knee on the kitchen counter, stopping for only a second to stop and rub the sore spot before she continued on her pointless journey to her front door.

 

It took her nearly ten minutes before she finally found it, looking over her shoulder constantly, although she knew it did little to absolutely no help at all, as if she thought some glow in the dark creature would spring at her from nowhere. Her heart beat faster in her chest at the thoughts of what could be lurking in the dark, and, as ashamed to admit it as she was, she knew she had cried a few silent tears at the darker thoughts. She never knew she was so afraid of the dark.

 

But her fear of not knowing what was there was nothing compared to when she finally reached a door that she assumed was the front, placing her hand on the knob as a small, relieved smile lifted the corner of her lips, right before a small sound intoned from behind her. She froze immediately, a feeling of red hot fear and freezing cold paranoia going down her spine all at once, causing goosebumps to raise at her flesh as she stood stock still.

 

It was silent enough in that dark room for her to literally feel her own heartbeat, hell, she could almost hear the pitter patter of the organ working feverishly inside her body. Another tear slipped down her cheek as she heard a small, almost as if it were unimportant, voice speak up behind her.

 

“Where are you going...?” The voice, that voice that sounded so familiar to her that she could do nothing but let out another sob, whispers tonelessly. It was so familiar, _so god damn familiar_ , that she couldn't help but break the contact with the door knob. A light flicked on over her head, and she realized that he must have turned on a flashlight behind her.

 

She began to turn, slowly at first, but picking up the pace when she realized there were only two people it could be.

 

The second she made eye contact, she broke. She wrapped both arms around herself as she let out heartwrenching sobs. The figure before her tutted, almost in a sad way, as if trying to console a small child. She certainly felt like a small child in that instance. A small child, looking up at a monster. A monster with familiar pale white skin, messy black hair, and wearing simple jeans and a white shirt. She almost thought it was L. But, no, it could not be. It could not have been L.

 

L did not have ruby red eyes.

 


	21. Chapter 21

_**((WOWIE, I did not mean to let this story go un-updated for so long. My bad! This chapter had been sitting in my document manager for so long now, I actually started it before Christmas time last year but never did anything with it! Gosh, I suck. I finally closed it off and decided to just post it now, whether I liked it or not, so I can try to force myself to get back into the mood to update this. It's also super short in comparison to my other chapters, but I couldn't force myself to write anything more so you'll have to make do for now. I'm writing another chapter as we speak so hopefully I'm not as much of a jerk as I was with this update.** _

_**My BB is a little rusty, so let me know if I get anything about his personality wrong! I also got a few questions asking whether BB was going to be a romantic interest for Ruri in this story. I'll leave it up to you guys: right now I have a whole bunch of people voting for Ruri/L and Ruri/Light, so let me know whether you'd prefer them or Ruri/BB. I'm basing the ending of this story off of what you guys want!** _

_**Enjoy the chapter!))** _

* * *

If Ruri had ever expected the day to meet somebody as insane as the man before her, she wouldn't have expected something like this. She would have expected chaos, insanity. She would have expected the man to try to kill her, or, hell, to torture her. She was terrified at the thought of meeting somebody like that.

This man was not like that.

No. As Ruri sat on her bed's edge, staring into the eyes of the man crouching onto a wooden chair he had dragged in from the dining room, she couldn't help but realize that he acted... almost harmless.

The second she had spotted his red eyes nearly glowing in the dark, she had broken down and openly sobbed, falling to the ground in absolute fear of what was to come. And then... then he crouched down and _apologized_. It was as if he felt actual remorse for scaring her so badly, and even though she searched his eyes for any evidence of truth or lie, she couldn't find anything. His body language was nearly the same as L's, but she could not read it. She could not read his eyes.

So he shushed her, even half-heartedly patting her on the head in an effort to relax her. Once her tears had subsided and all that was left was her confusion and slight terror, he'd crowded her into her bedroom once more. Standing there in the dark, with the man before her holding a blue flashlight, he glanced around the room for a split second before he jumped up and exclaimed, 'ah!', then ran out of the room, taking the light with him. Taking what little comfort she currently held with him. He returned a moment later, dragging a wooden chair behind him. He was grinning. It was terrifying.

He placed the chair in front of her, then crouched onto it like L would have. After a moment of staring at her, Ruri silently sat at the edge of her bed, watching him as closely as she could in the dark. His flashlight was pointed at the ground.

There, now we're all caught up. It's been nearly six minutes, if Ruri counted correctly, and neither of them had spoken a single word to each other. Finally, Ruri opened her mouth to speak, her scared voice croaking in fear.

"W-who...?" Was all she could manage.

He blinked once, as if shocked she would even consider asking such a question. He smiled once again, although his smile was much less maniacal as the last one had been. It looked almost... pleasant. She didn't understand it. She didn't understand _him_.

"You know who I am," he responded in an almost polite voice. Ruri brought her feet up to cross them in front of herself. He followed the movement with his eyes, before returning them to hers. She looked him over once again, perhaps for the thousandth time that night.

His charcoal black hair was just as messy as L's, although she noticed that his was longer. While L's hair just barely reached his shoulders, this man's hair reached just past his shoulder blades. His skin was pale, perhaps even more so than L's, if that was even possible. While his clothing was all the same as L's as well, although much dirtier, considering they were covered in dirt, mud, and dark splotches that she prayed to whatever God was listening that it was not blood, she was not staring at his clothing.

His eyes widened a fraction, and his grin grew to be the same crazy smile as before, when he realized what she must have been looking at. He tilted his head to the right, lifting one hand to raise his hair that fell over his face, as he grinned at her happily.

"Looking at these?" He whispered. Ruri gulped, letting out a shuddered breath. All across the right side of pale face and continuing down his neck before eventually being hidden behind his dirty white shirt, were a display of pink and red burn scars, spreading across his features with almost delicate-like designs. As if they had been painted on by an artist. It was both beautiful and hideous.

He dropped his hand, turning back to face her. His hair fell in front of his right side again, hiding the majority of the scars, although a few stretched just over the tip of his nose and the edge of his lips.

"I did that. To myself," he spoke, quickly adding the other half of his statement as if she needed clarification for what he meant. He's silent for only a second before adding, "Although it was a friend that made me do it..."

At the sight of Ruri's eyes widening slightly, his own eyes focused on hers again, leaning forward in his seat until the point where he was practically falling off of the edge and onto the bed. His eyes were largely wide, and he spoke in amazed wonder.

"So you _do_ know what happened..? I thought it was impossible, for you to be here... to exist.." He spoke in a hushed whisper, and although his face was mere inches from hers, Ruri could hardly make out the sound of his words. It took her a moment to realize what he had said, and it took her a second longer to realize he was waiting for her to respond. She narrowed her eyes in confusion, tilting her head off to one side, trying to get away from him. L had gotten uncomfortably close to her before, obviously, and she had gotten used to that, but he was leaning in with his knees resting on either side of her legs, his face a mere few inches from hers that she could feel his breath ghosting over her features. She was vaguely aware of her face warming uncomfortably.

"I- y-yes..?" She asked, uncertain. She didn't know what he wanted her to say, and she was afraid to say anything other than what he wanted to hear, so she decided to stick with the simple answer.

He opened his mouth to speak again, before he suddenly went stiff. His mouth was still open slightly, his eyes still as wide as ever, before he looked behind her silently. The action made a cold shudder fall down her spine, as she imagined what could possibly be there, what could possibly make someone like him stop in his tracks.

Then he sighed, letting his eyelids droop down to their regular width before he stood from his position, one leg at a time. He winced slightly, just barely visible for Ruri to see, when standing on his right leg, and Ruri realized that his scars must still hurt him, even if just the slightest bit. Pity briefly flashed through her mind, but she shut it away quickly. This man broke into her home and practically locked her into her bedroom with him. He doesn't get any pity.

She turned in her seat at the edge of her apartment bed, staring to see what he was doing. He walked silently over to the window beside her bed, right above her nightstand. He pulled back the thin white sheet that she had haphazardly thrown over the window as a makeshift curtain, peeking behind the sheet slightly. He stares for a moment, and before Ruri could question what he was looking at or what it is that has him riled up, he turns, dropping the sheet back down into its' original spot.

"Well, it seems as though _we_..." he turns, staring into her eyes. "Are out of time."

She blinks slowly, comprehending what he meant.

"Seems my old _pal_ is here for you..." he mutters, placing a thumb to his lips in the old fashioned 'L's copycat' kind of way. Then he's silent for only a second before he grins at Ruri. It was an empty smile with no ill intentions behind it, but it frightened her nonetheless. "We should be going now!"

He begins walking toward her bedroom door, and that was when she finally saw what he was talking about. There were several cop cars outside the apartment complex, along with one sleek, black car in the center which she recognized as L's. Then her mind finally catches up with her, and she starts in surprise.

"Wait- 'we'? What do you mean _we_ should be going?"

And it was at that moment she realized how close he had gotten. Now within arm's grasp, he reaches out and places his hands on her shoulders. His fingers were cold.

"We have to be going. I have things I need to get done, and I need you for them... well," he tilts his head to the side curiously, something Ruri felt like a dog or a cat would do. "Most of them, anyway."

She narrows her eyes, anger and slight apprehension running wild.

"What makes you think-" she's cut off as he leans over, placing his shoulders near her stomach, and grasping the back of her knees with one arm. In one swift motion, he straightens himself out and she finds herself lifted over his shoulder like a sack of potatos. She lets out an embarrassing sound- somewhere between a shocked gasp and a pained squeal- as he turns around quickly.

"Sorry, I'm not asking."

As he began moving through her darkened home swiftly, Ruri froze with a startled realization.

"Wait! Stop! I have to-" she began struggling, hesitant to tell him why she needed him to stop, but determined to get him to put her down. As she struggled, placing her hands against his shoulder and back in an effort to hit him hard enough to perhaps drop her, he held her tighter, in an almost painful grip.

"Have to what?" He ground out, although his voice was muffled as he moved farther from her bedroom.

And as he opened her front door and prepared to run out, Ruri stared helplessly at her old purple bag, filled with her notes about this world's future. She could just barely see it as the man below her rushed out of her apartment, running down the hall at full speed, startling many of the people in the hallways who had come out in a panic when hearing the several police sirens. They were deafeningly loud now, and Ruri couldn't help but wonder how she hadn't heard them from her room. Apparently this place had better walls than she originally assumed.

Suddenly her stomach collides with his shoulder painfully as he stops suddenly, pausing and tensing below her. Though Ruri couldn't see what it was that made him stop, she had a good guess.

"Let the girl go and raise your hands above your head!" A hard, angry voice yelled from the front of the hallway. Ruri could hear several guns clicking as their safeties were turned off and pointed at the duo in the hall. She could see several people screaming and retreating back into their rooms at the sight of the guns, and Ruri began shaking.

Soichiro and his men were pointing guns at her.

Her antics had caused her to be run after and chased down by police and other law enforcement enough that she had gotten used to it, but not once had she had several loaded guns trained at her.

Her panic and terror were soon replaced by confusion as the man's shoulders began shaking slightly. He was laughing at them. He obviously knew they wouldn't shoot at him with Ruri in his hands. And so, as he turned and jumped into the nearest apartment, Ruri had only a split second to turn her head and stare down at the hallway full of armed policemen.

Her eyes connected with the light, chocolate brown eyes she recognized as Light Yagami's father. He seemed almost shocked about the criminal's humor in this entire situation, which, honestly, she couldn't blame him for. She also understood absolutely nothing that was going on.

Her view of her only hope of getting out of this mess in one piece was cut off abruptly as Beyond ran through some stranger's apartment. She could hear a woman screaming at the sight of the bloodied stranger carrying a young girl over his shoulder while running through her apartment, but Ruri's mind was still spinning too much from trying to make sense of everything happening right now for her to really care.

She definitely began to care when Beyond jumped out a window.


	22. READ PLEASE

((A/N:

HELLO! DON'T SKIP THIS! IMPORTANT INFORMATION! PLEASE READ!

Now what I have your attention...

I am going to be re-writing this story. I know some of you will be upset at that, but I have been going back and re-reading this story and I see so many mistakes. Not only grammar and spelling mistakes, but since I often leave for long periods of time then write the next chapter without reviewing what happened last, there are so many overlapping things and details that make no sense! It's gotten to this big build up where I can't just go back and fix one thing, because it intertwines with the rest of the story, so I need to fix the entire thing.

Rest assured, I will never give up on the story, which is why I am taking the time to rewrite it. I want it to be better for you guys. I will be changing the name of this to 'OLD STORY' and the new one will be titled 'Innocence Lost' again, because I still really love that title name haha.

Anyway, this was pretty much all I wanted to tell you guys.

My school has started up again, so I won't have a lot of time to update things with homework all the time, but I'll always try to get something out every two to three weeks.

The re-write of chapter one should be out later this week.

I hope you can still stick with me,

-Sil.


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